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Voice actor Eric Bauza dies at 46; colleagues remember his Looney Tunes work

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Bauza, who revived Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died suddenly on Oct. 25 at age 46.

Updated Oct 30, 2026 · 20:14 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Voice actor Eric Bauza died suddenly on Oct. 25 of natural causes at age 46.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Colleagues including Susan Rogers and Alex Kirwan publicly mourned him, and Kirwan said he could not be replaced.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Bauza publicly pushed for release of Coyote vs. Acme, which the studio had shelved; Ketchup bought it for a reported $50 million and it has grossed over $100 million.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • The future of the pre-production feature Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical remains uncertain.[The Hollywood Reporter]

Key facts

  • Voice actor Eric Bauza died suddenly on Oct. 25 of natural causes at age 46.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Bauza revived Bugs, Daffy and Porky for a new era of Looney Tunes.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Susan Rogers, a Warner Bros. producer, said the studio's Burbank headquarters was in mourning.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Alex Kirwan, producer of Cartoon Network's Looney Tunes Cartoons, said Bauza could not be replaced.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Bauza pushed the hashtag #ReleaseCoyoteVsACME and shared imagery from the film on social media before his Annie Awards appeal.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Coyote vs. Acme was sold to Ketchup Entertainment for a reported $50 million.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Coyote vs. Acme has grossed more than $100 million worldwide.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Ketchup confirmed it is submitting Coyote vs. Acme for best animated feature consideration at the 2027 Oscars.[The Hollywood Reporter]

What remains uncertain

  • The future of the pre-production feature Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical remains uncertain after Bauza's death.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • The Hollywood Reporter says Bauza's campaign likely contributed to the sale of Coyote vs. Acme; the causal link is not established.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • The reported shelving rationale, including a tax write-off and marketing cost estimate, comes from a single outlet and is not independently confirmed.[The Hollywood Reporter]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.