A Tribute To Eric Bauza

Animation has played a massive role in my life, not just as a fan but also as an artist; I have written many pieces on animated cinema and shows because they tell stories in a way that live action media just can’t replicate. 

One of the most engaging aspects of animation is voice acting or voice over. These talented people bring characters to life in a way that makes them feel lived in. And it’s even more amazing when they can play multiple characters in the same scene; which leads me to the focus of this article.

One day ago (October 25, 2026, as of this writing) we lost yet another voice acting legend in Eric Bauza. He was just 46, and, according to news reports, died suddenly of “hypertensive cardiovascular disease.“

For the uninformed, Eric was the go-to voice actor for much of the Looney Tunes characters for more than a decade. Many in the animation community (me included) considered him to be the second coming of Mel Blanc, the man of 1,000 voices. 

While not his initial successor (he was still in elementary school when Blanc died), many who worked with Bauza cited his talent as second to none.

His Bugs Bunny was so legendary, that he would almost fool me into thinking it was Blanc’s voice at times.

I can’t sing his praises enough, and if you want to relive some of his most recent work, I urge you to watch Coyote vs. Acme, The Day the Earth Blew Up, The Looney Tunes show and many more.

In a time where studios think that Chris Pratt is an ideal choice for playing Super Mario, hearing of Eric Bauza’s passing really hurts.