Owen Cooper has made Emmy history as the youngest male actor to ever win an acting award at the Primetime Emmys. At just 15 years old, Cooper earned the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie for his standout performance in Netflix’s gripping drama Adolescence . The series, which delves into trauma and complex family dynamics, stars Stephen Graham as Miller’s father and has already become one of Netflix’s biggest hits.
Congratulations, Owen Cooper!
After receiving a roaring applause, Cooper thanked the cast and crew of Adolescence, as well as his parents. “Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didn’t expect to be in the United States, never mind here, but I think tonight proves that if you listen and you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. I was nothing about three years ago and I’m here now. Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible,” he said.
Global star PeeCee lauded Owen’s win and shared a video expressing her excitement.
With this win, Cooper surpassed previous records held by Michael A. Goorjian, who was 23 when he won the same category in 1994, and Scott Jacoby, who at 16 became the youngest male actor to win any acting award at the Primetime Emmys for The Certain Summer in 1973. Cooper’s achievement is not just historic but also indicative of the talent and maturity he brings to the screen at such a young age.
Owen Cooper on playing Jamie in Adolescence
Earlier this year, Cooper spoke to Deadline about taking on the role of Jamie. He said, “I didn’t know what was hard and what was easy, so I just went with it,” he said. “I didn’t know any better to do the one-shot and do all those lines. Whatever I got asked to do, I did it because I wanted to prove that I was right for the part of Jamie, I wanted to impress everyone. I went in there knowing my lines, which I didn’t think I’d be able to do.”
In June, Adolescence became Netflix’s second most-watched English-language series, surpassing Stranger Things Season 4 and trailing only behind Wednesday, with over 141 million views in its first three months, further cementing Cooper’s rising star in the industry.