Nearly a century after the Looney Tunes first began causing chaos, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Wile E. Coyote remain some of animation’s most recognisable characters. Now, after a roller-coaster journey that almost saw it disappear completely, Coyote vs. Acme has finally reached cinema screens. Movieland caught up with voice actor Eric Bauza to talk about the film’s unlikely rescue, growing up with Looney Tunes and carrying on the extraordinary legacy of Mel Blanc.
“It has been truly a roller-coaster ride of an experience when it has come to making a feature film,” Bauza says. “I’ve been a part of several Looney Tunes productions of this scale, but none of which has had the attention that Coyote vs. Acme has.”
After the film was initially shelved, the reaction from fans became a major part of its story. “This one, I think, struck a chord with the audience. I guess they really want their Looney Tunes content. I’m just happy that there was such a demand and outcry for it.”
Bauza’s connection with these characters goes back long before he ever stepped behind a microphone. “My education with animation, period, started on Saturday morning cartoons,” he says. “For me, Saturday mornings meant The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show. That’s where I learned not just how to do voices, but how to draw these characters. It just kind of helped shape my sense of comedy.”
Today, Bauza has the enormous responsibility of following legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, and he believes the secret is remembering that Bugs, Daffy and company are more than simply funny voices.
“I’m glad you said personality. A lot of people say voices, but you nailed it right on the head,” Bauza tells Movieland. “I like to say he was the blueprint when it came to these characters because they’re so different from one another that they are like personalities and not just voices.”
His personal favourite? Marvin the Martian. “I’d say Marvin the Martian is by far one of my favourite voices to do, and actually I’ve been voicing him the longest.”
Coyote vs. Acme also remains faithful to the classic relationship between Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. “This sticks to the original recipe of Coyote and the Road Runner, where neither of them really speak. They kind of communicate through signs.” Well, almost. “Road Runner does say ‘meep meep’,” Bauza laughs.
That silence also meant Will Forte had the unusual challenge of performing opposite a character who would eventually be animated into the film. “When you watch this film back, it’s like he carries this movie on his back,” Bauza says. Puppets were used during filming to give Forte something physical to interact with before the animation was added later. “Magically, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it just kind of came to life.”
Despite years of experience voicing these characters, Bauza refuses to become too comfortable with them. “I think being a little bit worried is good because you have to be able to be on your toes. If you get too comfy with these characters, then I think it’s over.”
“Every time I hop into the booth to do something new with these characters, it’s like being on the job for the first day. I want to treat it that way because they deserve that much attention.”
And when Movieland asked which Looney Tunes character would be the first to complain if the projector broke halfway through Coyote vs. Acme, Bauza didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, come on. Who else?”
Straight into Daffy Duck: “Wait a second! Hey, hey! What’s going on with the picture? It’s my scene! How come when it’s my scene, the picture blows up?”
Within seconds, the interview had become its own miniature Looney Tunes cartoon, a fitting reminder that while the faces behind the microphone may change, these wonderfully chaotic personalities continue to live on.
