Eric Bauza

Eric Bauza (December 7, 1979 – October 25, 2026) was a Canadian voice actor and animator. He was born in Toronto, Ontario and later moved to Los Angeles, California.

He voiced various Looney Tunes characters, and won three Emmy Awards for his performances in Looney Tunes Cartoons (2020–2024), Bugs Bunny Builders (2022–2025), and Teen Titans Go! (2024). His other major roles in television and film include Belly Bag in Uncle Grandpa (2013–2017), Buhdeuce in Breadwinners (2014–2016), Puss in Boots in The Adventures of Puss in Boots (2015–2018), Baby Fozzie in Muppet Babies (2018–2022), Splinter in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018–2020), Luke Skywalker in Lego Star Wars and Woody Woodpecker in Woody Woodpecker (2017) and Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (2024).

Eric Bauza was born on December 7, 1979, in the Toronto suburban district of Scarborough, to Elvira and Eddie Bauza. He has a brother, Alan, and was of Filipino descent. His father and grandfather were fans of classic cartoons such as Looney Tunes. He stated that watching Mr. Dressup while growing up inspired his creative side; Bauza would draw with the host of the show while he was watching it.

He attended Cardinal Newman Catholic High School (now St. John Henry Newman) in Scarborough from 1993 to 1996. He graduated from Centennial College in 2000, being in the Radio, Television, and Film Program.

Bauza moved to Los Angeles to stay with his uncle where he started his career in animation as an intern at Spümcø during his third year of college and later became a production assistant on Weekend Pussy Hunt and The Ripping Friends which was his first voice acting role. His breakthrough role was on Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", where he took over the role of Stimpy from Billy West. Bauza acquired a visa to stay in the U.S. after being cast in El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2007–2008).

Bauza voiced Lord Stingray on the Adult Swim series Superjail! and Marvin the Martian on The Looney Tunes Show. Between 2012 and 2014, he voiced Driba, Diamondhead, Dr. Psychobos and other characters on Ben 10: Omniverse. He also appeared in episodes of the animated web series Dick Figures, where he voiced the Genie of the Teapot, the Vulgar Mall Santa, and the Ninjas. He was also the voice of Lord Takagami, the main antagonist of Dick Figures: The Movie (2013). He played Buhdeuce in Breadwinners and the title character in Netflix's The Adventures of Puss in Boots and related media.

He performed stand-up comedy at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles.

Bauza voiced characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Marvin the Martian, and Woody Woodpecker. For his role in Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bauza won the inaugural Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program. He also voiced Rash in the 2020 version of Battletoads. Bauza was briefly a late-night talk show host on The Late Night Show Tonight.

On March 23, 2021, Bauza appeared on the ABC game show To Tell the Truth and performed in his Looney Tunes voices.

In 2022, he hosted Stay Tooned, a six-part documentary series on the cultural impact of cartoons, for CBC Gem.

In 2023, Bauza became the new voice of Buster Bunny in the reboot series Tiny Toons Looniversity.

Bauza voiced two characters in Bob's Burgers who were originally voiced by other actors. In the show's twelfth season, he took over the role of Bob Belcher's father, Robert "Big Bob" Belcher Sr., who was originally voiced by H. Jon Benjamin in a voice-only flashback and later by Bill Hader in the fifth season episode "Father of the Bob". Following Jay Johnston's firing as Jimmy Pesto Sr., Bauza also took over that role in the show's fourteenth season. Prior to his death, Bauza was developing two pre-production projects: Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical and The Dragon Masters.

Bauza was previously in a relationship with animation director Jessica Lynn Borutski. They have a son, born in 2016. At the time of his death, Bauza was engaged to Caroline Buermann, a branding and licensing consultant. They collaborated in 2025 to launch Saturday Morning Cartoons United, a non-profit and charity that organizes animation screenings.

Bauza died from hypertensive heart disease at his home in Los Angeles, on October 25, 2026, at the age of 46. Many figures in the animation industry, such as Jeff Bergman, Bob Bergen, Candi Milo, Jennifer Hale, E. G. Daily, Robbie Daymond, John DiMaggio, Jason Marsden, Grey DeLisle, Kari Wahlgren, Khary Payton, Billy West, Daron Nefcy, Ashleigh Crystal Hairston, Rob Paulsen, Dan Povenmire, Dana Terrace, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Butch Hartman, Tara Strong, Peter Browngardt and Mark Evanier all paid their respects.