Newly released footage captured the moment 15-year-old Owen Cooper learned that his Adolescence co-star Stephen Graham had won the Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy, shortly after Cooper himself made history as the youngest ever male Emmy winner. Cooper, who flew to Los Angeles with his parents for the ceremony, had just accepted his award when the backstage exchange took place.
During an interview for the Emmys YouTube channel, correspondent Albert Lawrence told Cooper, “Stephen just also picked up an award.” A visibly surprised Cooper replied, “Did he?” and then turned to his team off camera for confirmation. He then added, “Oh my god. Oh, that’s brilliant. That’s made it even better. Oh, wow.”
The Netflix miniseries Adolescence was a major winner at the awards, taking home eight Emmys on Sunday night. The tally included Best Supporting Actress for Erin Doherty and a directing prize for Philip Barantini, as well as two awards announced during the pre-show for cinematography and casting. Stephen Graham’s win for Outstanding Lead Actor added to his honours for the series across acting, writing and producing categories.
Cooper, who plays Jamie Miller in the series, accepted his award by praising the production team and his co-stars. “It may have my name on this award, but it really belongs to the people behind the camera and Stephen and all the cast,” he said. He also recounted how drama classes helped set him on his current path, telling the audience that stepping out of his comfort zone and focusing had made his achievement possible.
Adolescence, a drama about a schoolboy accused of murdering a female classmate after being exposed to extreme online content, has averaged around 45 million views per month and become widely discussed among parents and teenagers. Cooper’s win came over nominees including Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story), Rob Delaney (Dying for Sex), Peter Sarsgaard (Presumed Innocent), Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent) and his Adolescence co-star Ashley Walters.
Cooper, from Warrington, England, was accompanied to Los Angeles by his parents, Andy and Noreen, and his two brothers. He was handed his Emmy on stage by Sydney Sweeney and said he had not expected to be in the United States when he began drama classes a few years earlier. His headteacher had granted him a week off school for the trip on the condition that he completed schoolwork while in LA, including mathematics.
Footage of the backstage moment underscores the camaraderie among the cast as the series received both critical and industry recognition. The dual wins for Cooper and Graham came amid widespread attention for the show’s portrayal of online harm and its effects on young people.