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Chris DeFaria, the former president of animation and innovative technology at Warner Bros. and producer of “Coyote vs. Acme,” shared his thoughts on the sudden death of Eric Bauza, the voice of many “Looney Tunes” characters.
I’m heartbroken to share that my friend and colleague Eric Bauza passed away last night. The world lost a great voice.
Eric carried the legacy of Looney Tunes with a devotion few bring to their work. He voiced Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Marvin the Martian, and so many more. And he never treated them as a job. To him, they were icons who deserved to be honored, protected, and kept alive for new generations. He championed these characters tirelessly in every room he walked into.
Eric never forgot whose shoulders he stood on either. He had enormous reverence for Mel Blanc, the master who gave these characters their original voices, and he used to say he was only borrowing Mel’s Cadillac, and that he promised to return the keys when he was done. That was Eric.
A man handed one of the great legacies in animation, who treated it as a trust rather than a trophy. He drove it with love and cared with a little bit of mischief, and he left it in better shape than when he found it.
After Mel’s passing in 1989, the voices he carried by himself were divided among many talented performers.
Then Eric came along.
He started by trying a few of the voices, and in what felt like no time at all, he was doing nearly all of them. It’s a feat that few, if any, had pulled off since Mel himself.
But what Eric achieved went far beyond impressions. Learning the sound of a character is hard enough. Eric did something deeper.
He learned to be them, to think like Bugs, to scheme like Daffy, to stutter and squirm like Porky. That’s why they never sounded like imitations when he performed them. They sounded alive.
What made it more remarkable was that his talent was largely his own. He was self-taught, and he built that astonishing range through curiosity, relentless practice, and a deep love of the craft. You could hear that love in every line. I was lucky enough to share time with Eric at Warner Brothers, and luckier still to have worked alongside him most recently on “Coyote vs Acme.”
Eric had a devilish wit, and was never more alive than when he stepped into those characters with a mischievous spark that made them feel new while honoring everyone who came before them.
And yes, Eric was always late. I like to think that somewhere right now, Bugs, in fact, is tapping his foot and checking his watch, and Eric is strolling in with a grin, a perfect excuse in a line so funny that all is forgiven within seconds.
He was worth the wait every single time.
Thank you, Eric, for the laughter, the artistry, the joy you gave us all. I know you promised to return Mel’s keys when you’re done. Take your time. You always did.
— As told to Jazz Tangcay
