This 15-Year-Old Child Actor Eyes Emmy Awards History, Tom Holland Inspired Him To Be An Actor

Netflix's Adolescence, the second-most popular English language series of all time, has secured 13 Emmy nominations at the upcoming 77th edition of the awards ceremony, including one for child actor Owen Cooper, 15, in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie category. Cooper has also become the youngest actor ever to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy in his category.

Cooper's restrained and delicate act in Adolescence, about online bullying, murder and digital safety of teenagers, has earned a rightful Emmy nod for him. More interesting is the fact that the 4-episode series is shot in one take, making it more immersive and arresting. Moreover, Adolescence is Cooper's first professional acting gig.

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After two years of honing his craft with The Drama Mob theatre group, Cooper landed the role of Jamie Miller in Adolescence. About balancing work with education, Cooper shared that he shot for the show during his Summer break. He also said that a tutor would be present on set and he could study in between breaks. Filming for Adolescence took place during the summer of 2024, and though Cooper was 14 years old at the time, he has since turned 15.

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Cooper wanted to be a footballer and is a Liverpool fan, but discovered his love for acting early on as he took drama lessons. Cooper is now set to star in the highly anticipated adaptation of Wuthering Heights as young Heathcliff, which is expected to release next year.

Cooper saw Tom Holland in the 2012 film The Impossible and he decided he wanted to be just like him. He joined a drama club in Manchester. He trained for just one class a week, until Adolescence came along. Admitted by Cooper, his other cinematic training has come at home by watching movies like Terminator, Titanic and Inception.