Who is Adolescence star Owen Cooper? The youngest Emmy winner who defeated Javier Bardem; was chosen from 500 auditions after giving up football dream

Owen Cooper also became the youngest ever to bag the Emmy Award. This honour was previously held by 16-year-old Scott Jacoby, who had won the Best Supporting Actor award in 1973 for his role in That Certain Summer. On the other hand, Roxana Zal remains the youngest actress to win an Emmy, as she bagged the award in 1984 at the age of 14 for Best Supporting Actress in Something About Amelia.

How Owen Cooper landed in acting

Born in England to middle-class parents, his mother is a carer and his father works in IT. Growing up, Owen wanted to be a footballer but was inspired by Tom Holland’s performance in The Impossible and decided to enrol in drama school.

“To be honest, I don’t know. It was a day when I woke up and it just clicked in me that I wanted to start doing it. I don’t know where it came from, but I asked my mom and dad if I could start going to drama [classes], and I think they were a bit shocked by it because I’ve always wanted to become a footballer. I still play football now, and then asking them if I wanted to start drama lessons, it was a bit out of the blue, really,” he told Tudum in an old interview.

How Owen bagged Adolescence

After joining a small agency, Owen submitted a self-tape for Adolescence and was selected from over 500 auditions. The show’s casting director Shaheen Baig recalled seeing his tape and being amazed by his talent. Calling him a natural, she said, “He looks great on camera, but also his improv was really smart. It felt very natural. It was really [about] trying to find somebody with the emotional register to be able to play Jamie.”

Earlier, the show’s director Philip Barantini also gave fans a peek into Owen’s audition tape, where he brought the emotional depth needed to play the flawed yet vulnerable Jamie.

Owen’s speech at the Emmys: Not afraid to get embarrassed

Owen’s speech at the Emmys reflected the heart of his performance and revealed the reason behind his success at such a young age — he isn’t afraid to be embarrassed. Addressing the audience after his big win, the 15-year-old said, “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.”

Owen Cooper is a first-time #EMMY winning actor at the age of 15.
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— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 15, 2025

Adolescence is inspired by real events

Adolescence has emerged as one of the most talked-about shows of the year worldwide, exploring hard-hitting themes such as toxic masculinity, online hate speech, pornography, and their impact on teenagers. Inspired by real events, the series is co-created by Stephen Graham, who also plays Eddie Miller, the father of Owen Cooper’s character Jamie. The story follows Jamie as he is accused of stabbing a girl and killing her.

During a conversation, Stephen revealed that a real-life incident where a young boy allegedly stabbed a girl inspired him to create the show. He explained that the incident had shocked him and made him reflect on society. He said, “I really just wanted to shine a light on it and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we come to this? What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet and from social media?”