The Emmy Awards 2025 witnessed a historic moment as 15-year-old Owen Cooper clinched the title of youngest male actor ever to win an acting award.
Cooper, who stars in Netflix’s hit drama Adolescence, took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie. His acceptance speech drew a standing ovation as he thanked his castmates, crew, and parents.
“A few years ago, I was just in drama classes, never imagining I’d be here. Tonight proves that if you step out of your comfort zone, anything is possible,” Cooper told the audience.
With this win, Cooper shattered long-standing records:
- He surpassed Michael A. Goorjian’s record (youngest in his category at 23 in 1994).
- He also broke Scott Jacoby’s overall record, who was 16 when he won in 1973 for The Certain Summer.
The young actor’s achievement is even more remarkable given his competition, which included Javier Bardem, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard, Rob Delaney, and his own Adolescence co-star Ashley Walters.
What makes Cooper’s rise extraordinary is that he had never acted before auditioning for Adolescence. The four-part series follows Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder, focusing not on “who did it” but “why.” The show has been a global success, amassing over 141 million Netflix views within three months, second only to Wednesday.
