Teen star of Netflix drama Adolescence makes history at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
British teenager Owen Cooper made history on Sunday night in Los Angeles, becoming the youngest male actor ever to win an Emmy. The 15-year-old took home the award for best supporting actor in a limited series for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence, a drama that swept the ceremony with multiple major prizes.
“Standing up here is just… wow. It’s surreal,” Cooper told the audience at the Peacock Theatre, clutching his statuette. “When I started drama classes a couple of years ago, I didn’t expect to even be in the United States, never mind here.”
Cooper played Jamie Miller, a schoolboy accused of murder, in the four-part series praised for its sharp look at teenage life shaped by smartphones and social media. He broke a record that had stood for more than fifty years, surpassing Scott Jacoby, who was 16 when he won in 1973. Roxana Zal remains the youngest acting winner overall, having won at 14 in 1984.
The night belonged to Adolescence. Alongside Cooper’s win, the show was crowned best limited series and collected prizes for directing, writing, and acting. Stephen Graham, who starred as Jamie’s father, won best lead actor and also shared the writing award. Erin Doherty, who played a psychologist, was named best supporting actress.
“This kind of thing normally doesn’t happen to a kid like me,” Graham said in his acceptance speech. “I’m just a mixed-race kid from a block of flats in Kirby. To be here, acknowledged by you, is the most humbling thing imaginable.”
Doherty called the show “the definition of a team effort,” adding with a smile, “I’ll be banging on about Owen Cooper and Adolescence for the rest of my life.”
Earlier in the weekend, Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal surprised Cooper during a television interview. Gyllenhaal, whom Cooper had described as his hero, handed him a “lucky duck” talisman he had once been given before his own Oscar nomination. The gesture quickly went viral online.
Elsewhere at the Emmys, The Pitt won best drama series, with Katherine LaNasa and Noah Wyle taking acting honours. Jean Smart repeated her win for Hacks, while her co-star Hannah Einbinder won her first Emmy, using her moment on stage to end with a call: “Free Palestine.”
Seth Rogen’s Hollywood satire The Studio dominated the comedy categories, and Apple TV’s Severance scored acting wins for Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower. Stephen Colbert, whose late-night show is ending, won best talk series and drew a standing ovation.
The ceremony, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, ran almost on time. Bargatze had opened with a pledge to donate $100,000 to charity, threatening to deduct from the total for every long speech. The night ended with CBS and the host announcing a $250,000 gift to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
For Cooper, though, the night was about more than trophies. “If you listen, focus and step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything,” he said. “Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything is possible.”
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