At 15, Owen Cooper became the youngest male Emmy winner for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence. Learn about his journey from drama classes in England to Emmy history.

Owen Cooper is a 15-year-old actor from Warrington, England. On September 15, 2025, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. With this win, he became the youngest male actor to ever win an Emmy in any acting category.

A few years ago, Owen was simply attending drama lessons in Manchester. Before that, he dreamed of being a footballer. But after watching the film The Impossible, he felt inspired to try acting.

In his Emmy speech, he reflected on how quickly things had changed:

“When I started drama classes a couple years ago, I never thought I’d even be in the U.S., let alone standing here. This proves that if you focus, step out of your comfort zone, and keep going, you can achieve something. Three years ago nobody knew me. Now I’m here.”

Owen’s breakout role was in Netflix’s Adolescence, where he plays Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old accused of murdering a classmate.

The series is known for its bold format: each episode was filmed in a single take, without cuts. That meant Owen had to rehearse long and demanding scenes. It was his first professional acting role, but critics and audiences praised his raw performance.

Adolescence earned 13 Emmy nominations and won eight, including Best Limited Series, Writing, and Directing.

Owen’s parents, Andy (an IT worker) and Noreen (a carer), raised him in Warrington. He also has two older brothers.

After his win, Owen said his family was “proud and a little shocked.” He credits them for keeping him grounded despite the fast rise to fame.

At the Emmys, Owen won against big names like Javier Bardem, Peter Sarsgaard, Bill Camp, Rob Delaney, and co-star Ashley Walters.

That victory makes his achievement even more remarkable  especially considering Adolescence was his very first professional role.

Owen’s career is just starting. His next role will be young Heathcliff in a new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, where he will star alongside Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

He’s still finishing school while balancing his acting work, and he says he’s taking things step by step.