‘Adolescence’ Star Owen Cooper, 16, Breaks Records at the BAFTA Awards and Makes History

Owen Cooper has made television history after winning a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the series Adolescence. The 16-year-old British actor achieved the win for his very first acting role, completing what many are calling an extraordinary awards run for such a young performer.

Cooper’s win at the BAFTA Awards adds another major trophy to a growing list of international honors he has already collected for the same performance. In just over a year since the show was released, he has also won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics Choice Award, making him the youngest actor ever to collect all four major American television acting prizes for a single role.

During his acceptance speech at the BAFTA ceremony, Cooper reacted with shock and disbelief at how far he had come in such a short time.

“Wow, pretty heavy, honestly,” he said while holding the award. “Last year at this time I was presenting an award, and now I’m receiving one, so this is a bit crazy.” He also took a moment to thank the people who worked with him on the series.

“Thank you BAFTA. Thank you to the ‘Adolescence’ team, who have now become my family,” Cooper said. He then added a personal reflection, quoting John Lennon by saying, “You don’t get anything if you don’t have a vision to imagine it.”

Cooper also spoke about his thoughts on success in general, sharing a simple list that he believes helped him reach this moment. “First, obsession. Second, a dream. And third, The Beatles,” he said.

The series Adolescence has also become a major success for Netflix. The show is a four-part limited drama created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, and it quickly became a global talking point after its release.

Cooper plays Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a schoolgirl. The role was especially demanding because Cooper had no professional acting experience before being cast in the series. He was only 13 when he got the part.

One of the most talked-about episodes features a long continuous single-shot scene where Cooper’s character meets with a clinical psychologist, played by Erin Doherty. That episode received strong praise from critics and was even nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for its direction and storytelling style.

At the BAFTA ceremony, Cooper faced strong competition in his category. Other nominees included Ashley Walters, Fehinti Balogun, Joshua McGuire, Paddy Considine, and Rafael Mathé, all respected actors from different television projects.

Even with that strong lineup, Cooper’s performance stood out to voters, helping him secure the win and cement his place as one of the most talked-about young actors in the industry.

The night was also a big success for the series as a whole. Cooper’s co-star Christine Tremarco, who plays his mother in the show, also won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress. That made it a double victory for the cast of Adolescence.

Cooper’s rapid rise from unknown newcomer to award-winning actor has made his BAFTA win one of the most remarkable breakthrough stories in recent television history.

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