Owen Cooper emerged as one of 2025’s breakout stars after Adolescence premiered on Netflix in March 2025 to critical acclaim. His gripping performance as Jamie Miller — a seemingly well-behaved 13-year-old whose arrest for the murder of a classmate sets the story in motion — earned rave reviews from critics and audiences and made him the youngest male actor ever to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.
Owen’s career has continued its upward trajectory into 2026: at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards, he added another trophy to his collection by winning Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, while Adolescence also took home Best Limited Series honors and further solidified its position as one of television’s most talked-about dramas of the year.
As the series dives into themes of bullying, toxic masculinity and psychological unraveling, Owen’s portrayal — especially in the pivotal third episode — helped establish him as one of the most talked-about young talents in entertainment. Below, Hollywood Life has rounded up five facts about Owen.
Owen’s First Acting Role Was in Adolescence
To the shock of many, Adolescence is Owen’s first-ever on-screen acting role. Series director Philip Barantini told Variety that an acting coach was on set to help Owen since each episode was filmed in one continuous shot.
“Once we cast Owen, I was like: ‘Oh, I need to make sure he can actually do this thing,’” the director said. “So, we got some people in to work with him while I was working on other episodes. There was an acting teacher who was there to just help him with his lines and help him get it all off the page. Honestly, first day on set was obviously nerve racking for all of us. But he just absolutely blew me away. Actors train for years and years and still can’t really master what Owen has mastered, which is basically just being in the moment and listening and being truthful.”
Owen Was 14 When He Played Jamie Miller
Owen was 14 years old when he played his 13-year-old character.
Owen Wanted to Play Football Before Acting
During his and Philip’s March 2025 interview with Variety, Owen revealed that he had “literally” no acting experience prior to Adolescence.
“I only really wanted to start acting a couple of years ago. It’s not been long,” Owen told the publication. “I grew up wanting to be a footballer. I don’t know what it was that made me want to do it, but I just wanted to do it. And then I went to lessons and enjoyed it. And then I got into a little agency thing, and then I got a self-tape request for ‘Adolescence.’ And everything came from that really.”
While discussing the agency The Drama Mob, Owen pointed out that he took “hourly lessons on a Tuesday where we’d get a piece of script and just read it off.” The newcomer to Hollywood then added, “But I was just doing it for a hobby and didn’t expect much from it. And then when Adolescence came, I obviously took it a lot more seriously. And I just took it on the chin really, and just did it.”
Owen’s Next Role Will be in Wuthering Heights
Owen was cast in his next major film role in Wuthering Heights opposite Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
How Old Is Owen Cooper? His Age Now
As of 2025, Owen is 15 years old, having been born on December 5, 2009. With his Emmy nomination this year, Owen could make history as the youngest male actor ever to win the award.
While the rising actor tends to keep a low profile, he does maintain an Instagram account where fans can occasionally catch glimpses of his life and work.
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