Eric Bauza went from meeting theme park characters to becoming their voice

Eric Bauza, the prolific voice actor who brought Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and numerous other animated characters to life, died Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, at age 46. Beyond his work in television and film, Bauza had a connection to theme parks, including recording dialogue for Puss in Boots at Universal Orlando Resort.

Long before he became the voice behind some of animation’s most loved characters, Bauza was a young theme park guest posing for photos with them. Decades later, he returned to Six Flags and Universal Studios to recreate those childhood memories, this time as the voice of characters he had grown up admiring.

Who was Eric Bauza?

Born in Toronto, Canada, Eric Bauza began his animation career as a character designer before becoming one of the industry’s best modern voice actors. Over the years, he took on the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety and Marvin the Martian, among many others.

Beyond Looney Tunes, Bauza’s credits included Puss in Boots in DreamWorks’ “The Adventures of Puss in Boots,” Woody Woodpecker in Universal’s 2017 live-action/animated film and Fozzie Bear in Disney Junior’s “Muppet Babies.”

He also voiced characters in “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” and numerous animated television series.

Bauza’s remarkable ability to bring animated characters to life was on full display at the Los Angeles premiere of “Coyote vs. Acme” on Aug. 26, 2026. In footage shared by Attractions Magazine, Bauza effortlessly switches between his Looney Tunes voices on the red carpet, while co-star John Cena discusses bringing the long-awaited film to audiences.

Watch the highlights below for a memorable glimpse of the talent behind so many beloved characters.

Eric Bauza’s journey from theme park fan to character voice actor

Several of the characters Bauza portrayed have a prominent presence in theme parks, particularly at Universal destinations and Six Flags parks.

His connection to those parks extended beyond the recording studio, however. Bauza was once a young guest posing for photographs with the same cartoon characters he would eventually portray.

At least one of those roles also brought his voice directly into a theme park experience: Bauza also discussed contributing Puss in Boots voice work to Universal Orlando Resort. In a 2025 interview with Animation Scoop, he referenced the park’s Shrek’s Cottage and performed lines in character directing guests toward the restroom.