Owen Cooper, who impressed in Adolescence this year, encouraged people to “step out of your comfort zone a little” as he gave his acceptance speech upon collecting the Emmy Award
Owen Cooper today became the youngest ever male winner of an acting Emmy – at 15.
The teenager won the award for his lead role in drama series Adolescence, which impressed on Netflix earlier this year. Upon collecting the award at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, Cooper said when he started drama classes he didn’t expect to be in the US, “let alone here”.
Owen, of 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.”
The youngster portrayed Jamie Miller in the Netflix miniseries, for which Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham won the award for writing in a limited or anthology series at the Emmy ceremony.
Roxana Zal was the youngest ever at age 14 when she won best supporting actress in a limited series or special for the TV movie “Something About Amelia” in 1984. However, Owen has become the youngest male to win any acting Emmy.
Addressing the crowd at the theatre, Owen continued: “I was nothing about three years ago, and now here I am.” Speaking to reporters moments after his win, Owen 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.”
Adolescence was his first TV role and, since its success, he has gone on to record scenes for Film Club, which is an upcoming BBC drama, and he will play the Young Heathcliff in an upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation.
Seth Rogen, Jean Smart and Katherine LaNasa were also each been given an award at the ceremony. Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower were early winners for their roles in Severance as well.
And Apple TV series The Studio broke an Emmy Awards record for wins by a comedy in a season. The programme picked up 12 awards, including Seth Rogen’s gong for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, at the ceremony at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The Studio’s success beats last year’s record for The Bear, which won 11 awards at the Emmys for one season.
Speaking after his win for best comedy actor, Seth, 43, said: “I could not wrap my head around this happening. I’ve never won anything in my life.” Seth co-directs and stars in The Studio, which is a satirical cringe comedy about floundering film production company Continental Studios.
Seth shares the directing Emmy with his longtime collaborator and Studio co-creator Evan Goldberg. In a recent review, Seth is praised highly. It reads: “Rogen has made a lot of very funny stuff over the years, but this is by far the best thing he’s ever done. It’s been said that in order to make an effective satire, you first have to love, or at least care about, the thing you’re mocking.”