Owen Cooper captivated viewers with his stunning portrayal of Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy accused of killing one of his classmates, in Netflix’s “Adolescence.”
Cooper’s heart-wrenching performance in the critically-acclaimed British crime drama earned the now 15-year-old actor his first Emmy nomination, making him the youngest Emmy nominee for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie.
Moments ago, Cooper picked up the coveted award, which now cements him as the youngest male actor to win an Emmy — ever.
The honor was previously held by a then 16-year-old Scott Jacoby, who had won best supporting actor in 1973 for his role in the made-for-TV drama film “That Certain Summer.”
Meanwhile, the youngest female Emmy winner is Roxana Zal, who won in 1984 for best supporting actress in a limited series or movie at 14 for “Something About Amelia.”
Prior to his historic win on Sunday night, Cooper spoke exclusively to TODAY.com about the significance of his then potential win and what he felt about being honored.
“I know there’s a lot of pressure on me, but it’s just, obviously, it’s a bonus,” he says. “And it just shows how well the show is done. So, yeah, it’s just a good way to end.”
During his acceptance speech, Cooper elaborated on his win and how it fit into the trajectory of his life.
“A couple years back I didn’t expect to be in the United States, let alone here. Tonight proves if you listen, you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. I was nothing three years ago. I’m here now,” he said.
“If you step out of your comfort zone, who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible,” he continued.
He went on to thank his parents, the show’s creators, Netflix and more. “It may be my name on the wall but it really belongs to the people behind the camera,” he said.
Cooper’s poignant thoughts about his role in the film during his acceptance speech are just a snapshot of the impact that the award-winning series has had on him and the many people the show affected.
Co-created by and co-starring Stephen Graham, who played Jamie’s dad Eddie Miller, “Adolescence” is inspired by real events, which included a series of recent local stabbings.
“There was an incident where a young boy (allegedly) stabbed a girl,” Graham told Tudum. “It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the inciting incident here?’ And then it happened again, and it happened again, and it happened again. I really just wanted to shine a light on it, and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we come to this?’”
In his interview with the outlet, Graham said that he hoped the show would help answer the question, “What is happening to our young men these days and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet and from social media?”
Aside from the ripped-from-the-headline effect, the series has also struck a chord with critics and parents alike. Following its release on March 13, “Adolescence” became the No. 1. English-language show on Netflix in the U.S. It also garnered a critics approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which has since been updated to 98% with 109 critic reviews.
In a Sunday Focus segment on TODAY March 30, NBC’s Daniele Hamamdjian explored the impact of the series and the national conversation it sparked about online culture and the complex issues of teens.
Speaking to psychologists about some of those hot button issues, Hamamdjian told Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist that experts advise that the best way to start a conversation with kids about such issues is to “get off your own device.”
“Adults need to model the right behavior, monitoring screen time and the types of content viewed,” she said. “The point .. is to remind kids that there are real relationships out there and in the real world. Not just online and in apps and parents should encourage in person interactions.”