Meet 15-year-old Owen Cooper, the youngest male Emmy winner ever, breaking decades-old record
Owen Cooper, 15, makes Emmy history as the youngest male actor to win for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence.
The 77th Emmy Awards witnessed history as 15-year-old Owen Cooper became the youngest male actor ever to win an acting award. Cooper, who stars in Netflix’s drama Adolescence, took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie.
The audience erupted in applause as he stepped on stage to thank the cast, crew, and his parents. Reflecting on his journey, Cooper said, “Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple of years ago, I didn’t expect to be in the United States, never mind here, but I think tonight proves that if you listen, focus, and step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. I was nothing three years ago, and I’m here now. Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything is possible.”
Owen Cooper is a first-time #EMMY winning actor at the age of 15.
pic.twitter.com/UVnTlAHpVy
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 15, 2025
With this win, Cooper broke Michael A. Goorjian’s record, who was 23 when he became the youngest winner in the category in 1994. He also surpassed Scott Jacoby, who won at 16 in 1973 for The Certain Summer, becoming the youngest male actor ever to win an Emmy in any acting category.
Cooper’s victory is even more remarkable considering the competition, which included Oscar-winner Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story), Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard (Presumed Innocent), Rob Delaney (Dying for Sex), and his Adolescence co-star Ashley Walters.
The actor’s journey is extraordinary as he had no prior acting experience before auditioning for Adolescence. In the four-episode series, he plays 13-year-old Jamie Miller, a schoolboy arrested on suspicion of murder. Rather than a typical whodunit, the show explores why Jamie’s life took such a drastic turn. The series also stars Stephen Graham as Jamie’s father, Christine Tremarco as his mother, and Amelie Pease as his sister.
Adolescence became a massive hit, drawing more than 141 million views on Netflix within its first three months, making it the platform’s second-biggest show after Wednesday, according to Deadline.
