Ryu

We lost three legendary voices in 2026, but their work will never be forgotten 🕊️ In 2026, we said goodbye to Peter Cullen, Tom Kane, and Eric Bauza, three voice actors whose work reached across generations and helped define some of the characters millions grew up with. Peter Cullen gave the world the unmistakable voice of Optimus Prime and the beloved melancholy of Eeyore, becoming one of the most recognizable voices in animation history. Tom Kane became a defining voice of Professor Utonium, and throughout the Star Wars universe, most notably as Yoda and Admiral Ackbar, while also narrating every episode of The Clone Wars and lending his voice to countless other characters. And Eric Bauza, who passed away at just 46, carried the legacy of classic animation into a new generation as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Road Runner and many more. His work earned him three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. Their voices could sound completely different, but they shared something important: the ability to make fictional characters feel alive. Optimus Prime, Yoda, Bugs Bunny and countless others will continue speaking through the performances they left behind. We may have lost the voices, but we will never lose the characters they gave us. Their work will keep speaking for generations to come. 🕊️❤️

We just lost another legend today 😔 Emmy-winning voice actor Eric Bauza has passed away suddenly at just 46, his family announced. No further details about his passing have been released at this time. For millions of animation fans, Bauza became one of the defining modern voices of Looney Tunes, taking on the enormous task of bringing characters created generations before him into the present. At different points, he voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Marvin the Martian and several other members of the legendary cast. His Looney Tunes performances helped earn him three Emmy Awards. Some of his most memorable roles included: • Puss in Boots — The Adventures of Puss in Boots • Bugs Bunny — Looney Tunes Cartoons • Daffy Duck — The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie • Porky Pig — The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie • Woody Woodpecker — Woody Woodpecker • Master Splinter — Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles • Fozzie Bear — Muppet Babies • Marvin the Martian — Looney Tunes Cartoons • Stimpy — Ren & Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon • Tweety Bird — Looney Tunes Cartoons • Amadeus Cho / Iron Spider — Ultimate Spider-Man • Foop / Irep — The Fairly OddParents • Tiger Claw — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles • Master Frown — Unikitty! • Rodolfo Rivera / White Pantera — El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera Bauza originally entered the animation industry as a character designer before becoming one of its most recognizable voice performers. What made his career remarkable was not simply the number of characters he played, but the trust placed in him to inherit voices as iconic as Bugs, Daffy and Porky while still creating memorable characters entirely his own. Rest in peace, Eric Bauza. He spent his career giving cartoons a voice, and generations of characters will continue speaking with a little piece of him. 🕊️