15-year-old Owen Cooper makes history at the 2025 Emmys as the youngest male winner

At 15 years old, Owen Cooper just made history as the youngest male to win a Primetime Emmy Award, triumphing for Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor.

The previous record holder was Scott Jacoby, who was 16 when he set the record in 1973 by winning Best Drama Supporting Actor for That Certain Summer.

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Cooper was considered one of Gold Derby’s locks of the night, with a 98 percent chance of prevailing. He won in a field that included Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story), Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent), Rob Delaney (Dying for Sex), Peter Sarsgaard (Presumed Innocent), and Ashley Walters (Adolescence).

Movie/Limited Supporting Actor

Contender

Odds

Owen Cooper

Adolescence

Winner

98.0%

Javier Bardem

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

1.3%

Ashley Walters

Adolescence

0.3%

Bill Camp

Presumed Innocent

0.2%

Rob Delaney

Dying for Sex

0.1%

Peter Sarsgaard

Presumed Innocent

0.1%

“Standing up here is just — wow — it’s just so surreal,” the 15-year-old said at the Emmy podium. “Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didn’t expect to be even in the United States, nevermind here. If you listen and you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in your life.”

Cooper added, “I was nothing about three years ago. I’m here now, so who cares if you get embarrassed. Anything can be possible.” The teen actor thanked his parents and loved ones, and also gave a shout-out to all the people behind the camera at Adolescence. Watch his speech:

In Adolescence, Cooper plays Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old teenage murder suspect, who repeatedly denies stabbing a female schoolmate. Jamie’s father, Eddie Miller, played by Stephen Graham, eventually has his own questions about his son’s guilt. The four-episode crime drama is co-created and co-written by Graham and Jack Thorne. Each episode is directed by Philip Barantini and filmed in a single take, as viewers follow Jamie’s path through the British legal system.

Graham, who cast Cooper through his audition tape, called him a “generational talent.” “Owen’s talent is second to none,” Graham told Gold Derby. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a talent like it, to be honest with you, at such a young age. The fact that we’ve created this opportunity for that wonderful young man to go and have a proper career within this industry,” he added. “That makes me so proud.”

Adolescence dropped on March 13 and drew 24.3 million views in its first four days of availability to debut at No. 1 on the Netflix English TV charts. Within a few months, it had grown to become the streamer’s second most-watched original series of all time, behind only Wednesday.

The program won eight Emmys total: Best Limited Series, lead actor for Graham, supporting actor for Cooper, supporting actress for Erin Doherty, writing, directing, casting, and cinematography.

Scott Jacoby continued working until 1991, with his last credited project being Son of Darkness: To Die for II. Meanwhile, the youngest female Emmy champions in history are Roxana Zal (age 14, Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actress, Something About Amelia, 1984) and Kristy McNichol (who was 15 when she won Best Drama Supporting Actress for Family in 1977; she won again in 1979 at age 17).

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