British actor Owen Cooper had already made history as the youngest person ever nominated for supporting actor in a limited series, and was overcome when he took the gong for lead actor in a drama series for Adolescence at the 77th Emmy Awards. In a heartfelt speech, the 15-year-old said modestly that he was "nothing about three years ago". "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," Owen said. "But I think tonight proves that if you listen and you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. Who cares if you get embarrassed a little bit?" Adolescence is his first professional acting role.
"It says my name on the statue, but it really belongs to all of the people who worked on the show," Owen added.
The young actor beat nominees Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story), Rob Delaney (Dying for Sex), Peter Sarsgaard (Presumed Innocent), Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent) and Ashley Walters (Adolescence), to take home the award.
© Getty ImagesHis co-star Erin Doherty won best supporting actress in a limited series, dedicating the award to her older sister, Grace, saying she "wouldn’t be here without her".
The British drama, which was on Netflix’s most-watched list earlier this year, is about a 13-year-old boy, Jamie Miller, who gets arrested for the murder of a classmate. The drama series received a total of 13 nominations.
Adolescence director Philip Barantini won an Emmy for outstanding directing for a limited or anthology series or movie, and writers Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham won for outstanding writing in the same category. "To Netflix, thank you for trusting us with this mad idea," Philip said while accepting his award.
© CBS via Getty ImagesFellow nominee Jake Gyllenhaal surprised Owen during an interview ahead of the award show, leaving the young Adolescence star momentarily speechless.
Owen shared during a September 12 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he was looking forward to the Emmys the most to "chew Jake Gyllenhaal’s ear off all night."
Asked how he would react if they met, Owen said: "I don’t know. I’ll just stare at him. I don’t really know." The pair hugged, and Jake gave Owen 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."
After his win, Owen will be heading back to school. He was given a week off by his teachers so he could jet off to Tinseltown for the big night.
