Fifteen-year-old Owen Cooper is the heavy favourite to become the youngest male winner in the history of the primetime Emmy Awards, industry predictors said, but the Adolescence star plans to return to his Warrington secondary school within days to resume studies for next summer’s GCSEs.
Cooper, nominated in the Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series category for his portrayal of 13-year-old murder suspect Jamie Miller, was granted a week off by his teachers to travel to Los Angeles for the ceremony. Even if he wins, he told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, he will be back at his desk on Wednesday — barely 48 hours after the awards show — carrying a bag of homework that includes tasks in his least-favourite subject, maths.
Cooper, 15, attended pre-Emmy events in Hollywood with his parents, Noreen and Andy, and said the experience had already been life-changing. "I will never forget this for the rest of my life," he said. Asked on Kimmel whether his schoolmates would stay up to watch the show, he replied: "They're not staying up until four in the morning. They wouldn't watch it anyway to be fair."
Award-prediction site Gold Derby listed Cooper’s victory as one of the surest bets of the night. The site’s polling showed nearly 98% of more than 2,600 voters expected Cooper to win, and its editors called the outcome "one of the locks of the night." Senior editor Marcus James Dixon noted that a Cooper win would break a long-standing record: Scott Jacoby, who was 16 years and 175 days old when he won a supporting-actor Emmy in 1973, is currently the youngest male recipient of a primetime Emmy.
Other nominations for the Netflix limited series Adolescence include Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco for their roles as Jamie’s parents, and Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston, the child psychologist in episode three. Ashley Walters is also nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category alongside Cooper. Gold Derby’s coverage also flagged likely wins for the series’ creators and director, and noted the show had already earned creative Emmys for cinematography and casting at last weekend’s ceremony.
Industry commentators have said Netflix’s placement of Cooper in a supporting category while listing Stephen Graham as a lead was a strategic move to maximise the show’s awards prospects. Graham, an industry veteran, is considered a contender in several categories and is predicted by some outlets to win for co-creating and co-writing the series with Jack Thorne.
Cooper’s expected Emmy would join a National Television Award he won earlier this month; he was en route to Los Angeles with his parents when that prize was presented. He is also due to make his big‑screen debut next Valentine’s Day in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
The wider Emmy night carried other possible records and milestones. Kathy Bates, 77, was cited as a contender to become the oldest woman to win an acting Emmy for her role in the CBS series Matlock. Apple TV’s The Studio was poised to add to a haul of creative awards won last week and could challenge the all-time record for a comedy series if it secured further wins. Commentators also highlighted the potential for unusual outcomes in comedy categories, where some individuals, such as Seth Rogen, were tipped for multiple honours as director, producer, actor and writer.
The primetime ceremony began in the United States on Paramount+ and aired late overnight in the U.K.; no U.K. broadcaster had obtained rights to screen the show live. Cooper and his family planned to attend the ceremony in person, after which he would return to school in Warrington to continue coursework and prepare for examinations.
Cooper’s rise — from a relatively unknown teenager to a central figure in awards-season conversation — has drawn attention to the pressures faced by young actors juggling education and high-profile careers. He has repeatedly emphasised his intention to continue his studies, even as industry voters and viewers weigh the impact of his performance on the awards season.