Meet Megan Coomans | Professional Actor, Cosplayer and Character Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Coomans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, why did you pursue a creative career?
I only ever feel like I’m thriving when I have the time and space to be creative. Now, that can mean a lot of different things; sometimes it’s fashion and style, sometimes it’s cosplay, other times it’s singing, photography, and make up. Whatever it may be, I know I feel my best when I am able to express through one of my many creative outlets. I knew from an early age I wanted these artistic and creative explorations to be a part of my daily life – I grew up as a ballet dancer, eventually moved into acting, and then finally, singing and character performance. I am so grateful that I have built a life and a career that allows me to do these things every single day.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My journey has been long, and not without major challenges. I spent 2012 to 2016 performing in countless theatrical productions; everything from casual local theater, to professional contracts such as the Bracebridge Dinner Theater at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. Aside from that, I spent my weekends at my character performing job, playing dozens of roles for parties and festivals. My performance career came to screeching halt in March of 2017, when I was 25. While driving home from a character party, a distracted driver ended up on the wrong side of the road going double the speed limit, crashing into my car head-on, flipping my car 3 times and sending me flying into traffic. I was severely injured and knocked unconscious immediately, and I wouldn’t wake up or understand what happened for almost a week. The other driver died at the scene. I sustained a long list of serious injuries: broken hips and a fractured pelvis, swelling and bleeding in my brain from a severe concussion, a punctured lung and bruised ribs, nerve damage to my shins, seatbelt burns, cuts and bruises from all the shattered glass, and most notably, my femur broke in 3. I underwent an emergency surgery to repair my leg, leaving me with a long titanium rod through my femur that will be with me for life, as well as several screws near my hips and knees to keep everything in place. This left me with nearly 10 intense scars that cause burning and pain to this day.

I spent the rest of that year in so much therapy – physical therapy, aqua therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy. It took a village just to get me to stand up on my own again, which took months. For weeks I could not feed myself, sit up, move my legs, or bathe without help. The pain was unreal. I was so incredibly broken both inside and out. I spent several months after the crash in a wheelchair, and then needed assistance from a walker for several months after that. I didn’t know if I would walk or sing again, but after many long months of perseverance, I eventually was able to return to a semi-normal version of life, but nothing would ever go back to the way it was before.

I struggled for months with aggressive memory loss, and sometimes I still do. The nerve damage on my shins never recovered and I still can’t feel it when I touch them. I also live in pretty constant discomfort and pain from the intensity of my injuries – I can’t hop, skip, or jump on my right leg anymore. I can run, but I do have a small limp that impedes my movement sometimes, considering that I know have been left with something akin to arthritis at a very young age. I am proud to show how far I have come in my recovery, but in some ways I don’t think my recovery journey will ever really be “over.” It seems like recovery is just an ongoing, everlasting part of my life now. Besides the physical scars, there were lots of emotional scars, too. I’m still an extremely nervous passenger, and I can hardly bear getting behind the wheel myself, though I did finally start driving again in the summer of 2021, which feels like a major accomplishment.

Thankfully, the best thing that came out of this entire situation is the motivation to propel me forward in life and in my career. As soon as I could walk again, in the summer of 2018, I sprinted to an audition at Disneyland, which I booked on my first try, and I have been working in the Entertainment Department at the Disneyland Resort ever since. Since that I have gone on to work at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, I worked as an actor at Halloween Horror Nights also at Universal, and I have worked for several character entertainment companies in the Orange County area. Looking back on all this, sometimes even I don’t know how I had the strength both inside and out to come this far in just 5 years, but I am proud and grateful to be here.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well of course, we would have to spend a day at Disneyland and a day at Universal Studios! We’d definitely have to hit my favorite rides at Disney: Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, and The Haunted Mansion. We’d swing by Adventureland for a refreshing Dole Whip (one of my favorite treats there) and we’d have to end the night with my favorite show at the resort, Fantasmic! Now, for Universal Studios, the Wizarding World would be at the top of my list to show off – the land is so incredibly themed, immersive, charming, and enchanting. I would take them around to all the magic spells in the land and teach them how to accurately execute the spells using my interactive wand – an absolute delight to any first time guest! Lunch at the Three Broomsticks in a MUST, followed by a ride on Forbidden Journey, one of the best rides I’ve ever been on!

After getting theme parks out of the way, a visit to Southern California wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of our beautiful beaches. There are so many to choose from, but Corona Del Mar is one of my favorites to see a beautiful sunset in the area. After that I would take them for a seaside dinner in Newport Beach, maybe at the Rusty Pelican for some delicious Swordfish.

Finally, I’d take us for a cruise down Mulholland Drive for some of the best scenic views we have, ending it with a drive through LA to enjoy some of the beautiful, historic architecture spots such as the Shakespeare Bridge, among many others.


Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve worked with countless coaches, teachers, performers and mentors over the years. Ultimately, I think the biggest jump start to the confidence I needed to launch my career comes from two places in particular. My time in the Theatre Conservatory at Foothill College in Los Altos, California under the instruction of Janis Bergmann and Tom Gough was extremely influential to my career and success. They both helped foster a safe environment for me to grow and explore aspects of acting and performing beyond my imagination and I will always be grateful for my time and experience at Foothill.

Additionally, the late Darryl Hulsey, former owner of Children’s Delight Entertainment in San Jose, California, and my former boss, his daughter Kelyn, gave me my first job in the character performer industry which jump started my passion for costumes, cosplay, character acting. and so much more. I can say with confidence I would not be where I am today without their help and trust in me for so many wonderful years.

Website: instagram.com/meganxalexa

Instagram: @meganxalexa

Image Credits
Melissa Baxter