On Saint Louis University’s campus, if you hear the word “Cougar,” it can be traced back to one person: James Cougar Canfield.
Yes, his acquired middle name is “Cougar.”
It started off as a joke with his friends, and then people started calling him “Cougs.” But he didn’t think it was serious until he was at an audition at St. Louis Professional Theatre and someone said, “You’re James Cougar Canfield, right?”
The name suits him perfectly, as he is quite fierce when it comes to doing the things he loves, especially theatre.
Canfield, a junior, is currently in the process of attaining a Bachelor of the Arts in Theatre with a certificate in Drama Studies.
He is an actor, singer and dancer, and has done more than 20 shows with professional theatre companies. Some of the companies he has worked with are The Alley Theatre, St. Louis Shakespeare, Hot City Theatre and Saint Louis University Theatre.
“As a kid, I always wanted to be an actor when I grew up,” Canfield said. “I started pursuing this in the fourth grade. I was originally a writer for this 30-minute show, and when an actor bailed out, I got to take his spot in his show. And since then, I haven’t stopped acting.”
When Canfield came to SLU as a freshman, he continued to act, sing and dance. As a freshman, he got a role in a play among all seniors, and he says that’s when he had a defining moment about his career.
“There was this moment at the end of the show when I was on the big note and I had this feeling of, ‘Wow, this is what I want my life to be like.’ This is it,” he said.
Canfield says that to learn about theatre, you have to know about every individual element. That’s why Canfield said that he is studying dance this summer through Washington University in St. Louis’ “Made in France” Program.
This program allows Canfield to research dance in Paris for the first half of the month, and for the second half he will showcase dance in the French countryside.
“I love theatre. It is such a powerful art form, it is the only thing that is living; you are creating this whole world in front of people, you can affect them, and even make them cry. It’s such a good feeling,” Canfield said.
In 10 years, Canfield said that he really wants to be in New York, doing Broadway or different types of performances in different kinds of theatre.
“You really have to take initiative when it comes to theatre. That’s my advice to all the youth. Just go for it, ignore every con and put yourself out there,” Canfield said.
In his free time, Canfield loves to explore SLU’s campus, hang out with his friends and do service.
When asked for a random fact about himself, he had plenty to offer.
“Well, when I was nine, my sister and I filled out this form, took a test and made it to round one of Legends of Hidden Temple. That was very cool,” he said.
