Jake Gyllenhaal has made a surprise visit to 15-year-old actor Owen Cooper, who had earlier named the Hollywood star as his 'favourite actor of all time'. The meeting, captured in a video shared by Netflix, saw Gyllenhaal present Cooper with a 'Lucky Duck' token ahead of the Emmy Awards.
Cooper, the youngest nominee in the Limited Series Supporting Actor category for his role in Adolescence, had previously expressed his eagerness to meet Gyllenhaal on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying he wanted to 'chew Jake Gyllenhaal’s ear off all night'. The two are both nominated at this year’s Emmys, with Gyllenhaal up for Limited Series Lead Actor for Presumed Innocent.
In the clip, Gyllenhaal is seen walking down a hotel hallway, admitting he felt nervous. Upon entering the room where Cooper was being interviewed, the young actor was left speechless, turning away in shock. The pair shared a hug before Gyllenhaal handed over the gift, explaining it was a keepsake he received when nominated for an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain.
'It’s just a Lucky Duck to keep in your pocket. To give you a little bit of luck,' Gyllenhaal said. Joking about Cooper’s repeated mentions of him, he added: 'I just came by because he’s just been talking about me too much, so I just figured I’d stop it.'
Cooper is considered a frontrunner in his category, competing against Javier Bardem, Bill Camp, Rob Delaney, Peter Sarsgaard, and his Adolescence co-star Ashley Walters. The Emmys air tonight on CBS and Paramount+ with Showtime.
