Owen Cooper is one of the most buzzed about young names in Hollywood at the moment, coming off of a well-earned win at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 14 for his role in Adolescence. The poignant Netflix miniseries earned the 15-year-old an Emmy in the Best Supporting Actor category, making him the youngest male actor in Emmys history to win a prize. And by the looks of what else he has going on, he's not done just quite yet!
The teen is already slated to appear as young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell's buzzy Wuthering Heights adaptation, co-starring Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi and Hong Chau. He also featured in a Sam Fender music video earlier this year, will appear in the upcoming BBC series Film Club, and is also tapped to act in an upcoming indie to play at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
His Hollywood takeover is swiftly approaching, and per PR & Entertainment expert Lynn Carratt, via Covers, Owen is on set to become one of the industry's biggest heavyweights if he continues on the same trajectory. "At just 15, Owen Cooper became the youngest male performer ever to win a Primetime Emmy – and the youngest Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series ever to take home the award."
"This isn't just a personal triumph for him. It puts the British phenom in Emmy history, meaning his name and work will now be cited in conversations about teenage performance, breakout acting, and award show records," Lynn shared. "The Lancashire lad says after his Emmy win that he will back at his school desk on Wednesday. But what trajectory does this set for his future?"
Looking at his coming roles, the expert notes a trajectory similar to Barry Keoghan's. "He has already lined up his next role, set to play a young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights. Emerald, who also wrote the hit movie Saltburn, was responsible for casting Irish actor Barry Keoghan – and I can see similarities between him and Owen."
She continues to note on that front the Irish actor earned acclaim for taking on parts that strayed from the norm, something she praises Owen for achieving with Adolescence as well. "Barry built a career from taking offbeat, unsettling, morally complex roles and became an awards darling and this is exactly what Owen did in Adolescence. He could now carve out a niche as the actor who always takes the difficult roles and makes them great."
"However, I also a see young Leonardo DiCaprio in him," she noted, specifically charting his path as a child actor to his Academy Award-nominated turn in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape. "Leonardo started young in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and won early acclaim for emotionally intense performances, beyond his years."
"He was only 19 when he was nominated for an Oscar for the film. Like Leo, Owen's debut in Adolescence is already heavy, layered, and awards-worthy," she adds, saying that what he needs now is to "keep his young head on his shoulders and stay grounded, taking on roles that will benefit his future career."