Young star Owen Cooper has made Emmys history. The actor, who starred in the Netflix limited series Adolescence, won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie on Sunday.
This makes him the youngest male acting winner in the category. Learn more about the momentous event below.
Owen Cooper’s Reaction
During his acceptance speech, Cooper said his win was “so surreal.” “Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didn’t expect to be even in the United States, never mind here,” he said.
“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.”
His speech continued by saying, “I was nothing about three years ago. I’m here now, so I think if you’re listening and you’re focusing, you step out of your comfort zone just a little bit. Who cares if you get embarrassed?… It may have my name on this award, but it really belongs to the people behind the camera and all the cast.”
He ended the speech by thanking his parents, Netflix, and Adolescence actor and creator Stephen Graham.
When Owen Cooper was nominated in July, it made him the youngest nominee in the history of the category.
Also nominated in the category were Javier Bardem for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Bill Camp for Presumed Innocent, Rob Delaney for Dying for Sex, Peter Sarsgaard for Presumed Innocent, and Ashley Walters for Adolescence.
Interactions Co-Stars
Cooper’s character wasn’t the only thing he excelled at. His on-screen chemistry was also palpable. During an interview, Cooper and his co-star Doherty spoke about their push-and-pull third episode, as Doherty’s psychologist realizes the scale of Jamie’s online indoctrination.
“We were then throwing even more things at each other,” she told Cooper. “You were yawning in my face! You wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t [feel free]. I just feel like there was an element of great realism: ‘Let’s see how well we know this script, how well we can push each other.'”
Well, they surely did, and viewers’ reactions mirror the shocked Doherty during the episode.
Last Youngest Winner
At 15 years old, Owen Cooper became the youngest winner. Before that, the record was held by Scott Jacoby, who was 16 years old when he was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama for the 1972 TV film, That Certain Summer.
Jacoby won the Emmy in the category in 1973.
What is Adolescence About?
Adolescence is a four-part U.K. drama series that explores the loss of adolescence and the complexities of youth.
It centers around Owen Cooper’s character, 13-year-old Jamie Miller, whose world is turned upside down when he is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl named Katie.
Each episode was filmed across one consecutive take, and also stars Stephen Graham, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty, and Ashley Walters.
Success for Adolescence
The limited series has been a huge success for Netflix. It rose quickly to the top of Netflix’s charts after its March release. Adolescence is now the second most-watched Netflix show of all time, behind Wednesday, getting over 540 million hours of viewing time.
The series is also the most-watched U.K. title ever on Netflix, following in the footsteps of Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer.
Other Emmy Wins for Adolescence
Owen Cooper wasn’t the only one to win an award for Adolescence. The Netflix show won a total of six Emmys on Sunday night.
They were Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Stephen Graham), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Owen Cooper), Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Phil Barantini), and Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham).