In recent years, Eric Bauza has become one of the most successful and popular voice-over artists in the industry, thanks in part to his mastery of the entire library of Bugs Bunny and other “Looney Tunes” characters. But there was one iconic series that had eluded him until recently: “The Simpsons.”
Bauza recently made that dream come true — and his “Simpsons” premiere is set to take place Nov. 15 on Fox, with the episode “Dream Scenari-Moe.” But sadly, Bauza’s debut on “The Simpsons” is now posthumous, following his death on Sunday at the age of 46. Bauza’s death, the result of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, stunned the animation community, including the “Simpsons” writers who had just worked with him.
Cesar Mazariegos, co-executive producer of The Simpsons and co-showrunner of the episode, shares that Bauza plays two characters: restaurateur “Mr. Fong” and newspaper editor “Harry Metsali.”
“Everything people have said about Eric, before and after his untimely passing, is absolutely true,” Mazariegos said. Variety. “He was so funny, kind, creative, and immensely talented. We contacted him to play two New York characters for our “Dream Scenari-Moe” episode, and he knocked it out of the park. He seamlessly dove in and out of dozens of voices, both to give us options and to riff hilariously off-mic. He signed our wall of fame and drew an incredibly rendered Bugs Bunny there. That’s how we found He started as an animator! He was a long-time fan of animation and kept saying he felt like the luckiest man alive.
Mazariegos said Bauza came to record at two sessions and that they recently ran into him at last month’s Creative Arts Emmys. Additionally, executive producer Matt Selman had just seen Bauza at another event last week.
“He was absolutely someone that we were excited to see come over and over again, and then we got the news. It was such a shock,” Mazariegos said. “His passing just checks many of the boxes that make this such a devastating loss. To his young family, to a generation of animation fans, to an industry hobbled by greed and AI. We join his countless friends, colleagues and fans in mourning his loss.”
Bauza was heard in “Coyote vs. Acme” this year as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Charlie the Dog and others. But he had more than 400 acting credits to his name, including “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Chowder,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” “Scooby-Doo!” Mystery Incorporated,” “Fanboy & Chum Chum,” “Ben 10 Omniverse,” and, in 2026 alone, “Chibiverse,” “Minions & Monsters,” “Forgotten Island,” “Rick and Morty,” “Superkitties,” and “Avatar: Seven Havens,” among others.
Besides Bauza, “Dream Scenari-Moe” guest voices also include Meg Ryan (who plays “Sam”) and “Saturday Night Live” cast member James Austin Johnson as “Dr. De La Manana.” Here’s the episode’s plot line: “When Moe has trouble sleeping, he enrolls in a brand-new sleep study that gives him the biggest romantic comedy dreams of his life. But unbeknownst to him, his beautiful fantasy comes at a nightmarish price.”
“The Simpsons” recently made headlines for another big voiceover: The Return of Apu, now voiced by Sunil Malhotra. In an Instagram post this week, Malhotra shared the congratulatory note Bauza sent her when the news of Apu’s casting was revealed, along with a photo from their first meeting.
“A photo from the first time Eric Bauza and I met,” he wrote. “He was on a panel for LMU animation students in 2017. He was already a legend and I was in awe of him. And he was a fellow Asian American, someone to really look up to. But the thing about Eric was that in addition to his enormous talent, he had boundless generosity and grace. He made me feel like a peer. Over the years, we had worked together several times and it was always ridiculously fun. We alternated between talking about being dads of boys and then just The next photo is the last time I spoke to Eric. He had just sent me a congratulatory message on Tuesday for my new role. This text was so emblematic of his generosity and kindness. I will miss him.
In addition to “The Simpsons,” Bauza will next be heard voicing the upcoming short film “Daffy Season,” which will be shown in theaters as the opening to “The Cat in the Hat.”
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