Adolescence star Owen Cooper makes history at Emmys

Owen Cooper, the star of British TV drama Adolescence, has made history becoming the youngest to win an outstanding supporting actor Emmy.

Cooper, who is 15, played Jamie Miller in the highly-acclaimed series - which cleaned up in its categories, including gongs for his co-stars Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, and director Philip Barantini.

Adolescence, which dominated Netflix's most-watched list earlier this year, centres on the story of a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a classmate. It was widely praised not just for its subject matter but for its technical brilliance, with each episode shot in one continuous take.

Cooper, who was just 14 at the time of filming and had never acted before, said in his acceptance speech that he was "nothing three years ago".

"It's just so surreal. Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didn't expect to be even in the United States, never mind here," he told the audience in LA.

"So I think tonight proves that if you listen and you focus and you step out your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life."

The four-part mini-series provoked a strong response from viewers and prompted a conversation in the UK - and worldwide - around misogyny and online safety, with co-creator Jack Thorne joining Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a discussion on the matter at the end of March.

"It shows you that any dream is possible," said Graham, who was also co-creator of the show, as he accepted his own acting prize."

The show was named best overal anthology or limited series, and Thorne and Graham won for outstanding writing in the same category.

Gyllenhaal's gift

Before the awards ceremony, Cooper, from Warrington, had been surprised by his acting hero Jake Gyllenhaal, who walked in unannounced during an interview he was giving to press.

The pair hugged, and Gyllenhaal gave Cooper a small gift - a "lucky duck".

"I made this movie [Brokeback Mountain], and I got nominated for an Academy Award, and a friend of mine sent me this before. Something just like this," he said.

"It's just a 'Lucky Duck' to keep in your pocket. To give you a little bit of luck."

(c) Sky News 2025: Adolescence star Owen Cooper makes history at Emmys