When The Looney Tunes Show premiered on Cartoon Network back in 2011, it felt weird. Honestly, seeing Bugs and Daffy living in a suburban cul-de-sac as roommates was a massive departure from the "slapstick in a vacuum" vibe we grew up with. It was basically a sitcom. But what really made it work—or made it jarring for some—were the voices.
You can’t talk about Looney Tunes Show voices without acknowledging the massive shadow of Mel Blanc. He was the "Man of a Thousand Voices" who defined these icons for decades. Replacing him is impossible. You don't replace a legend; you just try to carry the torch without dropping it. This specific show took a bold path by casting a mix of seasoned voice actors and Saturday Night Live alumni to give the characters a dry, modern edge.
It worked. Mostly because the chemistry felt real.
Jeff Bergman: The Man Who Stepped Into the Burrow
Jeff Bergman didn't just show up for this show. He's been in the rotation since the late 80s, specifically taking over many roles after Mel Blanc passed away in 1989. In The Looney Tunes Show, Bergman handled the heavy hitters: Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
Wait. Actually, let's clarify that. While Bergman voiced Bugs, the Daffy duties in this particular series were actually handled by someone else. That’s a common misconception because Bergman often does both. For this suburban reboot, Bergman’s Bugs was less of a trickster and more of a "straight man" dealing with a mid-life crisis. He sounded a bit more nasal, a bit more tired. It fit the writing.
Bugs Bunny in this universe isn't just outsmarting hunters; he's trying to figure out why his roommate Daffy bought a parade float with a stolen credit card. Bergman nails that suburban exhaustion.
Why Jeff Bennett and Maurice LaMarche Matter
You’ve heard Maurice LaMarche. Even if you don't know the name, you know the voice. He’s The Brain from Pinky and the Brain. In this series, he took on Yosemite Sam. But this wasn't the Sam who just shoots guns at his feet. This Sam was a neighbor. A loud, annoying, strangely relatable neighbor.
Then you have Jeff Bennett. He voiced Foghorn Leghorn. If you go back and watch the "Merrie Melodies" segments or the main episodes where Foghorn appears as a billionaire mogul, the voice is booming but has this slick, corporate veneer. Bennett also did Barnyard Dawg. The interplay between those two is a masterclass in timing.
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The SNL Connection: Kristen Wiig as Lola Bunny
This was the biggest gamble the show took. In Space Jam, Lola Bunny was... well, she was kind of just "the girl." She was tough and good at basketball, but she didn't have much of a personality.
The Looney Tunes Show changed everything. They brought in Kristen Wiig.
Suddenly, Lola wasn't the cool girl. She was a fast-talking, obsessive, slightly unhinged, and incredibly hilarious stalker-girlfriend type. Wiig brought her Saturday Night Live energy to the booth. Her improvisational style changed the rhythm of the dialogue. It's probably the most polarizing part of the Looney Tunes Show voices roster, but it gave the character a soul she never had before.
Lola became the funniest person in the room. Her rambling monologues about nothing became a staple of the show's humor.
The Daffy Duck Evolution with Tony Cervone and Eric Bauza
Actually, I need to fix a detail there. While Jeff Bergman is the "main" guy, the actual casting for Daffy Duck in The Looney Tunes Show was Jeff Bergman as well, but his performance was heavily influenced by the show's specific comedic timing. However, when you look at the broader "modern" era of these voices, Eric Bauza is the name that now dominates.
But back in 2011, it was all about Bergman and the legendary Fred Armisen.
Wait, did Fred Armisen voice a Looney Tune? Yes. He voiced Speedy Gonzales.
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Armisen played Speedy not as a fast-running stereotype, but as a cool, collected restaurant owner. He was the most sensible person in the entire town. Hearing Armisen’s deadpan delivery coming out of a mouse's mouth was a stroke of genius. It stripped away the zaniness and replaced it with a dry wit that defined the show's 2010s aesthetic.
Keeping It in the Family: Bob Bergen
You can’t have Porky Pig without Bob Bergen. Period.
Bergen has been the voice of Porky since 1990. He actually studied under Mel Blanc. The story goes that a young Bergen called Blanc's house, and Mel actually talked to him. That kind of lineage is rare in Hollywood. In this show, Porky is the punching bag. He’s the guy who gets stuck with the bill. Bergen’s ability to make a stutter sound both endearing and incredibly frustrated is why he’s the best in the business.
He also handled Marvin the Martian in this run.
Marvin is tricky. He has to sound soft-spoken but incredibly dangerous. In The Looney Tunes Show, he’s often just trying to fit in, which makes the alien-warrior voice even funnier.
The Supporting Cast: Casting Legends
The show didn't skimp on the side characters. Look at the roster:
- Jim Cummings: The voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger voiced the Tasmanian Devil. But here, Taz was a pet dog. A very, very destructive pet dog.
- June Foray: The actual legend. She was the original voice of Granny (and Rocky the Flying Squirrel). She returned to voice Granny in this series well into her 90s. That’s pure E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) right there. You can't fake that history.
- Roz Ryan: She voiced Witch Hazel (renamed Witch Lezah). Her voice is soulful, authoritative, and perfectly grumpy.
The "Merrie Melodies" and "Wile E. Coyote" Shorts
The show was broken up by musical segments and CGI shorts. These required a different kind of vocal energy. In the "Merrie Melodies" songs, the actors had to actually sing in character.
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Daffy singing "Grilled Cheese" or "The Wizards" is some of the best vocal work in modern animation. It’s hard enough to do a lisping, spit-spraying Daffy Duck voice. It’s even harder to keep that voice while hitting high notes in a 1980s-style power ballad.
Why Does the Casting Matter So Much?
People get protective over these characters. They really do. If the voice is 5% off, the fans notice.
The Looney Tunes Show voices succeeded because they didn't try to do impressions of the 1940s versions. They took the core DNA—the "essence" of the character—and dropped it into a modern sitcom world.
Think about it.
If Bugs Bunny sounds too much like a 1940s street tough from Brooklyn, he doesn't work in a scene where he's complaining about a self-checkout machine at the grocery store. The actors had to evolve. They had to find a way to make these "drawings" feel like people you might actually meet at a DMV.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Voice Actors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of voice acting or just want to appreciate the craft behind this specific show, here is what you should do next:
- Listen for the "Placement": Next time you watch, notice where the voice is coming from. Jeff Bergman’s Bugs is very forward in the mouth (nasal), while his Daffy is further back in the throat to get that "wet" lisp.
- Check Out "I Know That Voice": This is a documentary (produced by John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender) that features many of these actors. It’s the best way to see the faces behind the characters.
- Compare the Eras: Watch an episode of The Looney Tunes Show and then watch a 1950s short like Rabbit Fire. Pay attention to the speed. Modern voices are slower, more conversational. The old ones are frantic and high-pitched.
- Follow Eric Bauza: While he wasn't the lead in this 2011 series, he is the current "king" of Looney Tunes voices. Following his social media gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how these voices are maintained in the 2020s.
- Study the Casting of Billy West: West (of Futurama fame) didn't voice Bugs in this specific series, but he did in Space Jam. Comparing West’s Bugs to Bergman’s Bugs is a great way to learn how two experts can interpret the same character differently.
The 2011 series remains a cult favorite because it was brave enough to change. It treated the characters like actors playing new roles rather than museum pieces under glass. The voices were the bridge that made that transition possible.
To truly understand the legacy, you have to look at the credits. You'll see names that have been with Warner Bros. for thirty years alongside names that were fresh off a live comedy stage. That blend is why, even years after it ended, people are still clipping scenes for YouTube and TikTok. The voices simply hold up.