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Owen Cooper reveals truth behind Adolescence improvised moment that made it into the show

By Sam Elliott-Gibbs

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Owen Cooper reveals truth behind Adolescence improvised moment that made it into the show

Owen Cooper has explained what actually happened in the Adolescence improvised moment that wasn’t cut out. The real-time series – which was captured in a one-shot style – added to the unpredictable nature of the programme. But the youngster, 15, who portrayed Jamie Miller in the Netflix miniseries, has revealed that not everything went totally plan during filming. Owen has shared how him suffering from exhaustion led to an unexpected moment between him and actress Erin Doherty in a scene many branded ‘disturbing’. During the third episode, Jamie was forced to sit down with child psychologist Emma, who has to profile him ahead of his trial. While we came to expect anything from boy with a real attitude, viewers would have had no idea what they watched wasn’t supposed to be seen at all. Owen says the impromptu moment ended up making it on the show, despite not being in the initial script. He explained: “In episode three, it was the second take of the day – we do two takes a day. I was tired, so a yawn came to me. Then Erin did an amazing line, she said, ‘Am I boring you?’ That took me back and made me smile because it wasn’t in the script. I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it was amazing.” When appearing as a guest on This Morning , he elaborated further. “I was tired, so I just yawned,” he recalled. “And then Erin backed me up and secured it, and it worked!” It wasn’t the only unplanned moment which producers decided to keep, according to other cast members. Faye McKeever, who played a nurse in the opening episode, told Metro : “For me personally, it was never scripted for my character to call Ashley Walters a k**b. So that was something I thoroughly enjoyed doing, even though I love Ashley.” After his Emmy win, Owen encouraged people to “step out of your comfort zone a little” as he gave his acceptance speech upon collecting his award. The lad, from Warrington, Cheshire, said: “I was nothing about three years ago, I’m here now. Step out of your comfort zone a little, who cares if you get embarrassed.” Addressing the crowd at the theatre in America, Owen continued: “I was nothing about three years ago, and now here I am.” Speaking to reporters moments after his win, he added: “It means some much to me. It means so much to me, my family, people back home. So, you know, it’s just, yeah, it just means a lot to me.” A journalist asks him how his friends would react to his win. Cooper said they might not be awake yet “because it’s four in the morning at home”, before adding: “They’ll be all over the moon, yes.” In the gripping Netflix series, Cooper delivers a compelling performance as Jamie, a 13 year old boy detained under suspicion of murdering a female classmate. Stephen Graham, Cooper’s co-star, hailed him as a “rare talent” on The One Show, comparing the prodigious actor to the legendary Robert De Niro. During filming, Owen disclosed that Adolescence was gaining such traction on Netflix that his fellow actors couldn’t ignore it. “They were all saying how big the show’s gone,” he shared with a grin. “And they were sick of seeing me on TV and stuff. That’s what Jacob said. Margot said that she was dying to watch it.” Both audiences and critics have unanimously hailed Adolescence as a “masterpiece” making it an essential addition to your watchlist if you’ve yet to discover this gem. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .