Meet Owen Cooper: 15-Year-Old Breaks Emmy Records With Netflix Debut in Adolescence

Fifteen-year-old British actor Owen Cooper made television history at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2025, becoming the youngest male actor ever to win a Primetime Emmy. Cooper earned the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his astonishing debut in Netflix’s hit miniseries Adolescence, where he portrayed Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old schoolboy arrested for murder. His performance, raw and heartbreaking, has been widely lauded by critics and co-stars alike.

What makes Cooper’s win even more remarkable is that Adolescence marked his first-ever professional acting role. Selected from over 500 audition tapes at just 14 years old, the teenager from Warrington, England, transformed into a breakout star overnight. He discovered acting only a few years earlier at The Drama Mob in Manchester, initially inspired by watching Tom Holland’s performance in The Impossible. At the time, he had dreams of becoming a footballer.

On stage at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, an emotional Cooper reflected on his whirlwind journey. “I was nothing three years ago,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to be here in the United States when I started drama classes. Tonight proves that if you step out of your comfort zone, anything is possible.”

Cooper's performance was particularly challenging much of Adolescence was filmed using long, uninterrupted one-take sequences. Director Philip Barantini and series co-creator Stephen Graham were quick to praise the young actor’s instinctive talent and emotional depth. “He just absolutely blew me away,” Barantini said. “Actors train for years and still can’t master what Owen has done naturally being truthful and in the moment.”

Co-star Erin Doherty, who also won her first Emmy for the series, described Cooper’s portrayal as “genuinely scary” in its intensity, particularly the emotional transition from childlike innocence to explosive anger. “I’m so proud of him,” she added.

Born in Warrington, Cooper’s journey from drama classes to the Emmy stage has been meteoric. With no prior screen credits, he’s already being hailed as one of the most promising young actors of his generation. His role in Adolescence has been called one of the most powerful child actor debuts in recent memory.

Now firmly on Hollywood’s radar, Cooper is already booked for major upcoming roles. He’s set to star as young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights and will appear in the BBC Three series Film Club. Meanwhile, rumors are swirling about a sequel to Adolescence, with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment reportedly in talks with Netflix for a follow-up season.

At just 15, Owen Cooper has not only redefined what a breakout debut looks like he has etched his name into Emmy history and captured the world’s attention. With his talent, humility, and already glowing résumé, it’s clear this is just the beginning.