A 15-year-old actor from Warrington has made Emmy history becoming the youngest-ever nominee in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category for a limited series.
Owen Cooper, the rising Northern star behind Netflix’s smash hit Adolescence, is now being tipped for global stardom after his haunting portrayal of Jamie, a 13-year-old accused of murder, captured the attention of critics and viewers worldwide.
The show, co-created by Stephen Graham, became an overnight streaming sensation. Now, Cooper finds himself on the cusp of potentially becoming the youngest-ever male Emmy winner – and all while being home-tutored between sets.
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Cooper’s rise is pure Northern grit meets Hollywood breakout. Raised in Warrington by a carer mum and IT worker dad, he grew up playing football for Warrington Rylands U15s. But it was watching Tom Holland in The Impossible that made him swap the pitch for the screen.
He joined The Acting Mob – a Manchester-based drama school set up by Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien – and was quickly spotted.
Producers were on the hunt for raw, untapped talent for Adolescence. Out of 500 hopefuls, Cooper landed the role after nailing two self-tapes and a chemistry read in Manchester with Graham himself.
Now, Hollywood has come calling. Leonardo DiCaprio is a fan and Cooper has already landed roles in Film Club for BBC Three, Sam Fender’s Little Bit Closer music video, and a starring turn in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, playing a young Heathcliff opposite Jacob Elordi.
Not bad for a lad who still plans to go back to school after filming wraps.
