At the 2025 Emmys held on Sunday, teenage sensation Owen Cooper etched his name into the annals of history, becoming the youngest male actor ever to claim an Emmy in any acting category. At the tender age of 15, the British prodigy shattered records by securing the Best Supporting Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or TV Movie award that fateful night. Prior to this, the title had been held by Scott Jacoby, who, at 16, won a Primetime Emmy in 1973 for his role in *That Certain Summer*.
"Standing up here... wow, this is so surreal," Cooper exclaimed, clutching his award amidst the glittering lights of downtown Los Angeles. "Tonight proves that if you listen, focus, and step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life."
"Three years ago, I was nobody," he continued, his voice brimming with emotion. "Now, I'm here. This award may have my name on it, but it truly belongs to the incredible people behind the camera and the entire cast."
Cooper mesmerized audiences with his portrayal of Jamie Miller, a teenage murderer, in Netflix's gripping series *Adolescence*. Each episode was filmed in a single, uninterrupted take, showcasing Cooper's raw talent alongside a stellar cast including Stephen Graham, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty, and Ashley Walters.
The teenager had already graced the cover of *The Hollywood Reporter* when *Adolescence* soared to the top of Netflix's charts upon its March release. It became the second most-watched Netflix show of all time, trailing only *Wednesday*, with over 540 million hours of viewing time. Moreover, *Adolescence* stands as the most-watched UK title ever on the platform, continuing the legacy of British talent and storytelling established by Richard Gadd’s *Baby Reindeer*.
The show ignited a global conversation about the online "manosphere," revealing how Jamie's internet activities had molded him into a radicalized, rage-filled teenager capable of committing a heinous crime against a female classmate. "He could have been better protected," Cooper told *THR* when discussing his role as Jamie and whether the character could have been saved. "He's engaging with the wrong people online, something his family is oblivious to. Eddie and his mom could have simply told him to log off. Simple steps like that could have prevented someone from altering their life's trajectory."
Cooper and his co-star Doherty also delved into the intense push-and-pull dynamics of their third episode, where Doherty's psychologist character grasps the full extent of Jamie's online indoctrination. "We were really pushing each other," Doherty recalled. "You were yawning right in my face! You wouldn't have done that unless you felt completely at ease. There was this incredible sense of realism: 'Let's see how well we know this script, how far we can push each other.'"
Cooper added, reflecting on his spontaneity during filming, "I wasn't even conscious of it in the moment. It wasn't until later that I realized, 'Oh, yeah, I did that.' I had no awareness of it. Like when I said, 'Look at me now!' That wasn't in the script. I remember thinking, 'Did I just say that?' Because I hadn't planned it. It just popped into my head, and I felt it was a powerful thing to do. Then it came out, and I used it in every subsequent take."
