The film industry has no shortages when it comes to impeccable child actors. These child actors, although young in age, have cemented themselves as actors worthy of similar praise and recognition as their adult co-stars. While there are child actors like Iain Armitage, Brecken Merrill, or Jeremy Maguire garnering attention today, one such star has caught the eyes of many, Owen Cooper.
The star of Netflix’s hit limited crime drama miniseries, Adolescence, Cooper has left viewers perplexed with his brilliant acting, amazing them with his authenticity while frightening them with his portrayal. Starring as Jamie Miller, a troubled teen accused of murdering a classmate, his performance is being praised by critics and fans alike for how realistic and electric it is.
Having intrigued fans of all ages and places, Owen Cooper has been getting a lot of attention ever since the Netflix series premiered. Well, naturally his personal life and upbringing have attracted a lot of fans. So, if you too are wondering about this young acting prodigy and his life, here are some unknown facts about Owen Cooper that will give you a deeper insight into the person behind the role.
5. Netflix’s Adolescence is Owen Cooper’s first acting credit
Netflix’s Adolescence premiered recently on March 13, 2025, and has been receiving rave reviews since its release. Currently having a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the series stars actors like Stephen Graham (also the co-creator), Ashley Walters, Mark Stanley and more. However, the center of attention has been the 15-year-old Owen Cooper.
Just 14 years old when they shot the show, Cooper is astonishingly frightening in the series. While at first, he appears as a scared and confused teenager, he soon takes a troubled turn that leaves the audience in pure shock. As brilliant as any seasoned actor, surprisingly, the Netflix show is Cooper’s first-ever acting job. According to director Philip Barantini, the young acting prodigy has achieved what even full-blown actors cannot achieve.
Honestly, first day on set was obviously nerve racking for all of us. But he just absolutely blew me away. Actors train for years and years and still can’t really master what Owen has mastered, which is basically just being in the moment and listening and being truthful. I’ve obviously worked with a lot of actors in my time as an actor and as a director and a lot of actors can’t do what he can do. He doesn’t even realise it! He’s so blasé.
Stated the director to Variety. Well, the director is not wrong since the reviews speak for themselves. Even though some may find Cooper’s acting occasionally lacking, given that it is his first-ever acting credit, it is one hell of a debut that has all the markings of a great actor in the making.
4. Like any other actor, he finds it weird to watch himself
It is a tale as old as time that most actors dislike watching their own projects or performances, even finding them cringe. Well, the young child actor Owen Cooper is no different, and even though everyone has been praising him, doesn’t enjoy watching his own stuff. In his interview with Variety, he remarked that he watched Adolescence only because he was in the show. As for watching himself, he remarked,’
It was weird watching myself. But it was just like thinking about the memories. And I could always tell which take it was, because every take was different. So, yeah, it was weird to watch it, but it was also amazing. And all the family got to see it as well, so that was great.
Well, it is not weird at all that he does not like watching himself. While he did find it weird to watch, the youngster enjoyed watching it along with his family. Moreover, he thinks his character, Jamie, is widely different from him. While Cooper is a massive football fan and has been playing the sport for a long time, Jamie isn’t sporty at all (via Liverpool Echo).
3. Acting was more of an impulsive decision, Owen Cooper wanted to be a footballer
As natural as he might seem in his debut project, acting was never Owen Cooper’s first choice, but rather more of an impulsive decision. Having had no acting credit whatsoever, he only became interested in the craft a few years ago and grew up wanting to be a footballer. His favorite team is Liverpool (via Liverpool Echo).
In his interview with Variety, Cooper remarks that he doesn’t have any idea what made him do it, but signed up with an agency and ended up enjoying the lessons.
It’s an agency called The Drama Mob. And the lessons were just hourly lessons on a Tuesday where we’d get a piece of script and just read it off. But I was just doing it for a hobby and didn’t expect much from it. And then when ‘Adolescence’ came, I obviously took it a lot more seriously. And I just took it on the chin really, and just did it.
Well, the little agency and all those lessons proved useful and he sent a self-tape to Adolescence. More of an it-was-meant-to-be moment, the actor was cast in the series. While on set everyone would be bawling their eyes out after the takes, Owen, the reason for everyone being emotional, would be unhinged and playing swing ball even though there was a psychologist on set to make sure he was okay.
2. Owen Cooper is a natural at acting
Owen Cooper has had no acting experience other than the little training he had with an acting agency. Well, that and his natural talent apparently paid off as one can see on the screen. While talking to Tudum, executive producers Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, and director Philip Barantini revealed that the young kid was a natural the moment he stepped into the room.
When he left the room, I turned around to Phil and Jack and said, ‘I think that’s him,’ stated Graham. While Thorne added:
He wasn’t acting. Owen was working out his own way through it. But it felt like that capability was in him right from the start. Owen just needed to work out how to harness that monster inside of Jamie. And then once he harnessed that monster, there was no stopping him.
Meanwhile, in his interview with Variety, Cooper stated that he wasn’t
worried about the script or the intense parts while shooting but described the experience as being on a journey. But he did have a little help from co-star Graham, who at one point scruffed him by stating you’re never going to see your mum again, you’re never going to see your dad again, which eventually helped him tap into his emotional side.
1. Owen Cooper is the only actor in the fam
Owen Cooper hails from Warrington, not far from where Adolescence was filmed. Having originally auditioned for the role of Ryan, his character’s friend, Cooper is the only actor in the fam. Now 15, he is the youngest of three kids and has two older brothers Ollie, 20, and Connor, 30. While both of his brothers are electricians, his mother is a carer and his father has a job in IT.
Since the series is set in the North, against the backdrop of Yorkshire, he found the story relatable. Moreover, since the set was close to his home, his father or mother would usually accompany him. Since he is the only one in the fam to have taken up acting, studying is still pretty much serious for him and he spent his free time on set studying with a tutor, who was with him on the sets (via Liverpool Echo).
While he was still filming Adolescence, he was roped in to star as a young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, the younger version of Jacob Elordi’s character, thanks to a little help from Stephen Graham. As for his acting career, Owen Cooper wants to keep acting, preferably doing another project with Philip Barantini (via Variety).
Adolescence is available to be streamed on Netflix.
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