Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien is reportedly feeling hurt after her former protégé, Owen Cooper, failed to acknowledge her during his Golden Globes acceptance speech. The 16-year-old actor won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Netflix's Adolescence last weekend, but did not mention O'Brien, whose drama school, Drama Mob, gave him his start.
O'Brien, 42, co-founded Drama Mob in Manchester with her friend Esther, after struggling to find acting classes for her daughter Scarlett. Owen trained there before shooting to fame. Sources told the Daily Mail that O'Brien felt 'abandoned' by the omission, saying: 'Tina was absolutely key in Owen's success, but she was forgotten last week. It was pretty rotten to have left her out like that.'
The snub has also frustrated Drama Mob's teaching staff. Co-founder Esther previously noted that some reviews claimed Owen had no training before his debut, which 'frustrated us a bit'. She added: 'We invest a lot of time in our young people, including Owen. We really got to know him and his parents and supported them through the process.'
Owen, from Didsbury, thanked his family in his speech and said he 'took a risk' by attending drama classes. He described his journey as 'incredible' and said he is 'still very much an apprentice'. O'Brien has not yet commented on his success.
