Owen Cooper has cemented his status as one of the most decorated young actors in history after completing an awards season clean sweep at Sunday's BAFTA TV Awards. The 16-year-old star of Adolescence won Best Supporting Actor, adding to his collection of Golden Globe, Emmy, Critics Choice, Gotham, Independent Spirit, and National Television Awards.
Despite his Hollywood success, Cooper is in the midst of his GCSE exams, which run from May 4 to June 26, 2026. He sat mock papers in January during the peak of awards season, traveling to the US for ceremonies while studying. After the glitzy BAFTA ceremony at London's Royal Festival Hall, he returned to school in Warrington, Cheshire.
Cooper was just 14 when Adolescence was filmed, receiving on-set tutoring to keep up with his schoolwork. On The Graham Norton Show in December, he said: 'I've still got my GCSEs to do. I've only got about six months left and then I am gone – and then hopefully I am going to be an actor.'
In September 2025, he admitted school was going 'terribly,' with maths being his least favorite subject. When Jimmy Kimmel asked if he thinks about needing algebra while at the Emmys, Cooper replied: 'That's what I think about every morning before I go to school. Because I want to pass, I don't want to fail, but...' Kimmel joked: 'If you fail, who cares? You got a leather jacket already, you're a punk!'
Adolescence received 11 BAFTA nominations and won multiple awards, including Best Actor for Stephen Graham, Best Supporting Actress for Christine Tremarco, and Best Limited Drama. Graham, 52, won his first BAFTA after eight nominations for roles in Help, Time, and This Is England '90.
