{"id":684137,"date":"2026-01-09T09:06:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T09:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/684137\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T09:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T09:06:18","slug":"adolescence-star-owen-cooper-16-is-taking-his-mock-gcse-exams-abroad-between-the-critics-choice-awards-golden-globes-and-filming-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/684137\/","title":{"rendered":"Adolescence star Owen Cooper, 16, is taking his mock GCSE exams abroad&#8230; between the Critics Choice awards, Golden Globes and filming in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Adolescence star Owen Cooper is taking his mock GCSE exams abroad while filming on location as he prepares for this Sunday&#8217;s A-list <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/tvshowbiz\/golden_globes\/index.html\" id=\"mol-36885530-ecdc-11f0-a1a7-b5917236881a\" rel=\"noopener\">Golden Globes<\/a>, the Daily Mail can reveal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The teen star, who turned 16 in December, has been shortlisted for the Best Supporting Actor in a Series category for his role in the hit <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/tvshowbiz\/netflix\/index.html\" id=\"mol-367605b0-ecdc-11f0-a1a7-b5917236881a\" rel=\"noopener\">Netflix<\/a> drama.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He is\u00a0set to join Hollywood royalty, including\u00a0George Clooney,\u00a0Julia Roberts,\u00a0Dwayne Johnson and\u00a0Jennifer Lawrence,\u00a0at the star-studded event, to be held at The Beverly Hilton, but only once he has\u00a0completed his exams this week while working on location in Europe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Sources close to the Warrington-born actor say he will sit the exams at the same time as his classmates, having spent the past few months revising.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Year 11 students at his school, which we are not naming, are due to sit their RE,\u00a0 Biology and English Literature exams this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The insider said: &#8216;Owen is working in Europe this week, but that won&#8217;t stop him from doing what all his classmates will be going through.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;He&#8217;s taken his mock exams remotely under controlled conditions, with a moderator, as agreed with licensing and his school.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The insider added: &#8216;Owen takes his schoolwork as seriously as his job; he wants to get good grades.<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-4bae05da6b532293\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/105355889-15447325-image-a-12_1767910137413.jpg\" height=\"979\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Owen Cooper,\u00a0who turned 16 in December, has been shortlisted for the Best Supporting Actor in a Series category for his role in the hit Netflix drama\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Owen Cooper,\u00a0who turned 16 in December, has been shortlisted for the Best Supporting Actor in a Series category for his role in the hit Netflix drama<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-aa8904011ae32393\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/105355885-15447325-image-a-13_1767910140912.jpg\" height=\"317\" width=\"634\" alt=\"He picked up a gong for Best Supporting Actor in a limited series for Adolescence, the psychological crime drama in which he plays a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a classmate\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">He picked up a gong for Best Supporting Actor in a limited series for Adolescence, the psychological crime drama in which he plays a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a classmate<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Obviously, his acting career is looking particularly promising, but that won&#8217;t stop him working hard in school.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Cooper flew out to Europe this week, having attended the Critics&#8217; Choice awards last Sunday in LA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He picked up a gong for Best Supporting Actor in a limited series for Adolescence, the psychological crime drama in which he plays a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a classmate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">During his heartwarming speech, Owen thanked his co-stars, collaborators, and family, saying: &#8216;The past year has been a complete whirlwind for me and my family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Honestly, it&#8217;s changed our lives forever and we&#8217;re forever grateful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Receiving this award means more to me than I can put even into words, to be standing here with you all tonight is something that I&#8217;ll never forget.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">His co-stars Stephen Graham, 52, and Erin Doherty, 33, respectively won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a limited series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Owen mingled with the A-listers at the ceremony, posing up with actors Michael B. Jordan, Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, and Adam Sandler &#8211; who he referred to as &#8216;my man&#8217; &#8211; in his Instagram Stories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Owen picked up an Emmy award in September for his role in Adolescence, making history by becoming the youngest ever winner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">And during an appearance on the Graham Norton Show shortly afterwards, he admitted it was &#8216;weird&#8217; on his first day back at school following his victory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He added: &#8216;I&#8217;ve still got my GCSEs to do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;I&#8217;ve only got about six months left, and then I am gone \u2013 and then hopefully I am going to be an actor.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Owen says his school pals have helped keep him grounded when the likes of Margot Robbie have been heaping praise on his acting talents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He told Access Hollywood: &#8216;My friends aren&#8217;t really bothered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;They messaged me saying &#8220;well done&#8221;, but they don&#8217;t really care. The teachers cared, obviously \u2013 they were going mad about it.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He continued: &#8216;But my friends don&#8217;t really look at stuff about me on the internet. And I&#8217;m actually glad that they don&#8217;t \u2013 when I was filming the show, I did think, &#8220;What if everyone changes? What if all my friends change?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;But I still get shouted at by the teachers in school. I still get the mick taken out of me. It&#8217;s all good. I&#8217;m glad they haven&#8217;t changed.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Following the success of Adolescence, Owen has become a hot property in Hollywood and has nabbed several new film roles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He plays a young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell&#8217;s adaptation of Wuthering Heights, and Tom Ford&#8217;s forthcoming movie Cry to Heaven, set in 18th-century Italy&#8217;s opera world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Owen &#8211; who has two older brothers, Ollie, 20, and Connor, 30 &#8211; previously said he dreamed of being a pro footballer when he was younger rather than treading the boards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He told the Liverpool ECHO: &#8216;Both of my brothers are electricians and my mum&#8217;s a carer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;My dad works in IT. So, I&#8217;ve no clue where [the acting] comes from.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It was watching Tom Holland in the 2012 film The Impossible, which told the story of a family caught up in the 2004 Tsunami and also starred Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, which proved a pivotal moment in Owen&#8217;s life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Seeing a young Tom&#8217;s intense performance inspired him to try to become an actor himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This led him to sign up for acting classes at The Drama MOB, a drama school co-founded by former Coronation Street star Tina O&#8217;Brien and her friend Esther Morgan.<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-c1a301014ef68a32\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/105355887-15447325-image-a-14_1767910145475.jpg\" height=\"909\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Owen picked up an Emmy award in September for his role in Adolescence, making history by becoming the youngest ever winner\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Owen picked up an Emmy award in September for his role in Adolescence, making history by becoming the youngest ever winner<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Owen later told i-D magazine: &#8216;I never really wanted to be an actor. It wasn&#8217;t really in my DNA.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">And it was through drama school that he came to audition for the role of Jamie Miller in Adolescence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He was persuaded to send in a videotape of himself performing at The Drama MOB to producers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Adolescence casting director Shaheen Baig had considered 500 boys for the part, but Owen&#8217;s demo tape quickly persuaded her that she had found her Jamie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Stephen said he knew straight away that the young actor in front of them was perfect for the starring role. He turned to the rest of the team and said: &#8216;I think that&#8217;s him.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Brand and culture expert Nick Ede has predicted Owen could follow in Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet&#8217;s footsteps and become &#8216;the toast of Hollywood&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He told the Daily Mail: &#8216;The phenomenal success of Adolescence has taken the TV world by storm, and critics have been raving about Owen&#8217;s stand-out performance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The Hollywood elite love a rags-to-riches story and, at 15 and his first ever role, this young actor who was brought up in humble surroundings could soon become Hollywood&#8217;s hottest property and follow the path of many other child stars who have become household names, like Millie Bobby Brown or Timothee Chalamet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;I&#8217;m sure writers will already be presenting his agents with scripts and synopses that will feature him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;As he&#8217;s so young, I am sure he will be looked after and not thrust into the limelight without any support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Being a star in the UK is very different from being an international phenomenon. I am sure the offers will be rolling in from feature films to brand deals and beyond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;He will probably feel a lot of pressure, but also feel a massive sense of achievement from where he has come from to where he is now.&#8217;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Adolescence star Owen Cooper is taking his mock GCSE exams abroad while filming on location as he prepares&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":684138,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3940],"tags":[4080,92,77,127011,499,451,813,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-684137","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-celebrities","9":"tag-dailymail","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-gcse","12":"tag-golden-globes","13":"tag-netflix","14":"tag-tvshowbiz","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115864350624926534","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=684137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/684138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=684137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=684137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=684137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}