Adolescence star Owen Cooper said the awards ceremony where he won an Emmy was the “best day” of his life, as he revealed his plans to pursue acting full time after completing his GCSEs next year.
The 16-year-old became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy after his breakout role in the acclaimed British Netflix series, which examines so-called incel (involuntary celibate) culture, sparked a national conversation around online safety.
Speaking on the BBC’s Graham Norton Show, Cooper said: “Straight away I thought it was going to be more than a TV show – I read the script and then heard the word ‘Netflix’.
“I was nervous about what the reaction to it would be, but a week after it went out everything blew up.
“It has been a good year.”
The four-part programme, which became one of the most nominated shows at this year’s Emmy Awards, stars This Is England actor and the programme’s co-creator Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, the father of Cooper’s character, 13-year-old schoolboy Jamie.
When Jamie is arrested in an early morning raid on the family home, Eddie is chosen as his son’s appropriate adult, accompanying him during a police interview where he finds out the extent of the accusations against his son.
The series analyses incel culture and how it has promoted misogyny online and bullying on social media.
Speaking about the Emmy ceremony, Cooper added: “It was crazy and all a bit of a blur.
“The amount of people I met there was insane.
“It really was the best day of my life.”
Cooper broke Scott Jacoby’s long-held record for the youngest male Emmy winner. Jacoby was 16 when he won best actor for That Certain Summer in 1973.
The youngest Emmy winner remains Roxana Zal, who was 14 when she won a supporting actress award for Something About Amelia in 1984.
After the round of Adolescence promotions and award ceremonies, Cooper said returning to school “wasn’t too bad”.
He said: “The first day back was a bit weird, but I’ve still got my GCSEs to do.
“I’ve only got about six months left and then I am gone – and then hopefully I am going to be an actor,” he teased.
Cooper has also been nominated as best supporting male actor for a television Golden Globe, alongside his co-star Ashley Walters who played Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe.
The actor also stars in BBC comedy-drama Film Club alongside Aimee Lou Wood, and will appear as a young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation, which stars Australian actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
The full interview will air on The Graham Norton Show on New Year’s Eve at 10.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
