Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor who served as the modern voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died Sunday at 46.
His family announced the news on Bauza’s Instagram account Sunday night, saying he “passed away suddenly” and that more details would follow.
NBC Los Angeles reports that Bauza died at a home in Los Angeles County. The county medical examiner determined the cause was hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and the manner of death was natural.
The wrestling connection is Coyote vs. ACME, the film Warner Bros. shelved before Ketchup Entertainment rescued it. John Cena plays ACME attorney Buddy Crane in the movie, which Cena promoted with an August 28 release date. Bauza voiced Looney Tunes characters in the film, including Daffy Duck, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig and the Road Runner, according to Forbes.
Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Bauza made his voice acting debut in the animated series The Ripping Friends in the early 2000s and went on to more than 400 voice credits. He also voiced Marvin the Martian and was seen as a modern successor to Mel Blanc, the original voice of many Looney Tunes characters.
Two projects were still in pre-production. GMA News reports he was set to voice Daffy Duck in Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical and the Shogun King in The Dragon Masters.
His manager, Judy Coppage, told NBC Los Angeles that his death is “a profound loss for his family, the animation industry and his fans.”
