Owen Cooper, the 16-year-old from Warrington who won a Golden Globe for his role in Netflix's Adolescence, has been warned about the harsh realities of Hollywood. The schoolboy actor, who also triumphed at the Emmys, said the experience 'did not feel real'.
Cooper trained at the Drama Mob, a school co-founded by Coronation Street actor Tina O'Brien. His former teacher Esther Morgan recalled that Cooper stood out from the start: 'You could tell he definitely wanted it. He wasn't messing around when it came to listening, taking direction and learning his lines.'
Adolescence, a gritty northern drama about male toxicity, took four awards at the Golden Globes and six at the Emmys. Co-writer Jack Thorne expressed cautious optimism that the show's international success could lead to more working-class British dramas, traditionally seen as a hard sell abroad.
Cooper's achievement has also inspired a surge in boys taking up drama, a field often considered 'cringe' by teenagers. Morgan noted a 'huge drop-off' in boys attending classes after primary school, but since Cooper's success, more are joining. 'Having that role model saying, yeah, I went to drama classes, I gave it a go – that really has helped,' she said.
However, Morgan warned that northern actors like Cooper face an uphill battle due to industry centralisation in London, with fewer casting opportunities outside the capital. 'More shows need to be made and produced up here,' she argued.
