Warrington teenager Owen Cooper has made history by becoming the youngest male ever to win an Emmy Award.
The 15-year-old actor was named best supporting actor in a limited series for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence, a critically acclaimed four-part drama exploring the impact of smartphones and social media on young people.
Cooper, who played schoolboy Jamie Miller – accused of murdering a classmate – broke a record that had stood since 1973, when Scott Jacoby won aged 16.
On stage in Los Angeles, Cooper told the audience: “Standing up here is just, wow, it’s just so surreal. When I started these drama classes a couple of years back, I didn’t expect to even be in the United States, never mind here.
“I think tonight proves if you listen, and you focus and you step out your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible. I was nothing about three years ago, I’m here now.”
He dedicated the award to his family, co-stars and the crew, saying: “It may have my name on this award, but it really belongs to the people behind the camera.”
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The series dominated the night, winning best limited series, as well as directing and writing prizes. Merseyside’s Stephen Graham also took home leading actor, telling the crowd: “This kind of thing normally doesn’t happen to a kid like me, I’m just a mixed-race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirkby.”
Co-star Erin Doherty added another win for the UK with best supporting actress, joking she would be “banging on about Owen Cooper and Adolescence for the rest of my life.”
Earlier in the weekend, Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal surprised Cooper during an interview, gifting him a “lucky duck” he’d been given when Oscar-nominated – a clip that went viral on social media.
Cooper’s win means Warrington can now lay claim to one of the youngest Emmy winners of all time, putting him alongside Roxana Zal, who remains the youngest-ever acting winner overall at 14.
