{"id":425627,"date":"2025-09-15T06:48:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T06:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/425627\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T06:48:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T06:48:21","slug":"adolescence-star-owen-cooper-makes-emmys-history-as-youngest-ever-male-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/425627\/","title":{"rendered":"Adolescence star Owen Cooper makes Emmys history as youngest ever male winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporter <\/p>\n

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Cooper, 15, described his record-breaking win as “surreal”<\/p>\n

British actor Owen Cooper has become the youngest male ever to win an Emmy Award, in a night dominated by Netflix’s acclaimed drama Adolescence. <\/b><\/p>\n

Cooper, 15, was named best supporting actor in a limited series for his portrayal of a schoolboy accused of murdering a classmate.<\/p>\n

The four-part drama also won best limited series, as well as prizes for its directing and writing, and acting prizes for Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty.<\/p>\n

In his acceptance speech, Cooper said: “Standing up here is just, wow, it’s just so surreal.<\/p>\n

“When I started these drama classes a couple of years back, I didn’t expect to even be in the United States, never mind here.”<\/p>\n

Cooper, who played teenager Jamie Miller, said: “I think tonight proves if you listen, and you focus and you step out your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. <\/p>\n

“Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible. I was nothing about three years ago, I’m here now.”<\/p>\n

He also thanked his family, co-stars, and the show’s production team, adding: “It may have my name on this award, but it really belongs to the people behind the camera.”<\/p>\n

Cooper broke the record previously held by Scott Jacoby, who was 16 years old when he won an Emmy in 1973 for That Certain Summer.<\/p>\n

Roxana Zal remains the youngest acting winner overall. She was 14 when she won an Emmy in 1984 for Something About Amelia.<\/p>\n

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Erin Doherty said making Adolescence had been “the definition of a team effort”<\/p>\n

Adolescence was widely praised by critics and viewers for its exploration of the impact of smartphones and social media on teenagers.<\/p>\n

In his acceptance speech for leading actor, Graham said: “This kind of thing normally doesn’t happen to a kid like me, I’m just a mixed-race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirkby.<\/p>\n

“So for me to be here today in front of my peers and be acknowledged by you is the most humbling thing I could ever imagine in my life, and it shows you that any dream is possible.”<\/p>\n

Doherty, who played a child psychologist who works with Jamie, won best supporting actress in a limited series. <\/p>\n

The British actress joked she would be “banging on about Owen Cooper and Adolescence for the rest of my life”.<\/p>\n

“I’d love to mention every single person involved in making this show because it was the definition of a team effort,” she added.<\/p>\n

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Stephen Graham won best lead actor in a limited series, as well as a prize for co-writing the drama<\/p>\n

Accepting the prize for outstanding writing earlier in the night, Graham said: “We never expected our little programme to have such a big impact, but we’re really grateful that it did.”<\/p>\n

His co-writer Jack Thorne paid tribute to the show’s young cast, telling them: “You are the flame that proved young people are going to be OK.”<\/p>\n

Earlier in the weekend, actor Jake Gyllenhaal surprised Cooper<\/a> during an interview, after the young actor previously described him as his hero. <\/p>\n

In a clip that went viral on social media, Gyllenhaal gave Cooper the “lucky duck” which had originally been given to him when he was nominated for an Oscar.<\/p>\n

Other winners at the Emmys included Hollywood satire The Studio, which won several of the comedy categories, including best actor for its star and creator Seth Rogen.<\/p>\n

The actor joked: “I couldn’t wrap my head around this happening, so I’ve prepared nothing. <\/p>\n

“I never won anything in my life. When I was a kid I bought a used bowling trophy at an estate sale. This is really just so lovely.”<\/p>\n

The Studio broke the record for the most wins by a comedy for a single series, winning 13 awards in total including those it took home at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys.<\/p>\n

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The Pitt won best drama series, with Katherine LaNasa and Noah Wyle winning individual acting prizes<\/p>\n

Jean Smart repeated her win for best leading actress in a comedy for her performance in the satirical Hacks.<\/p>\n

But her co-star Hannah Einbinder also won an acting prize for the first time, taking home best supporting actress in a comedy.<\/p>\n

Einbinder thanked Smart and the show’s crew for “changing my life in every conceivable way”. <\/p>\n

On a night were several celebrities made direct or indirect references to the Israel-Gaza war, Einbinder finished her speech by saying: “Free Palestine.”<\/p>\n

Medical drama The Pitt won the prestigious best drama series award, while its stars Katherine LaNasa and Noah Wyle were recognised with individual acting prizes.<\/p>\n

But there were also wins in the drama categories for sci-fi thriller Severance, with acting prizes awarded to Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman, who became the first black winner of best supporting actor in a drama.<\/p>\n

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There were acting prizes in the drama categories for Severance stars Tramell Tillman (pictured) and Britt Lower<\/p>\n

Tillman dedicated his award to his mother, who he said was his “first acting coach”.<\/p>\n

“Mama, you were there for me when no-one else was, and no-one else would show up,” he said. “Your love and kindness stays with me, and this is for you.”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert won outstanding talk series, weeks after it was announced his show was being cancelled.<\/a><\/p>\n

His win came after a recent campaign, led by some of his fellow nominees such as Jimmy Kimmel, which encouraged Academy voters to support Colbert in the category this year.<\/p>\n

“Thank you for this honour,” Colbert said. “I want to thank CBS for giving us to be art of the privilege of late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we’ve stopped doing this show.”<\/p>\n

Colbert also received a standing ovation while presenting an award earlier in the night. He joked: “While I have your attention, is anyone hiring? Because I’ve got 200 very well qualified candidates here with me tonight, who will be available in June.”<\/p>\n

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Stephen Colbert brought his old headshot as he said he was looking for work after the cancellation of The Late Show<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, the US version of The Traitors won outstanding reality competition programme.<\/p>\n

Its host Alan Cumming paid tribute to the show’s “crew in Scotland who had to understand the concept that the Scottish summer is sometimes oxymoronic”.<\/p>\n

He added: “It’s a difficult time that we live in but it’s so great that our show brings a little bit of joy into this life.”<\/p>\n

Other winners included John Oliver, which took home two prizes including best scripted variety series, Star Wars spin-off Andor, which won best drama writing, and Slow Horses, which won a directing prize.<\/p>\n

The Emmys ceremony unusually ran broadly on schedule, ending only a few minutes late.<\/p>\n

That was party due to a clever policy employed by host Nate Bargatze, who started the night by saying a $100,000 donation he was making to charity would be reduced for every speech that went over the time limit, while every short speech would add more money to the fund.<\/p>\n

But despite the amount of money going up and down throughout the night, the ceremony ended with him and broadcast network CBS announcing they would, in fact, donate $250,000 in total to US charity The Boys & Girls Clubs of America.<\/p>\n