"was nothing about 3 years ago"- Adolescence star Owen Cooper gives a heartfelt speech after historic win at 2025 Emmy Awards

Owen Cooper achieved a special feat by winning the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards. What made the moment historic was that, at just 15 years old, he became the youngest male winner in the history of the awards.

The actor bagged the prize for playing the role of Jamie Miller in Netflix's mini-series, Adolescence (2025). Taking the award on September 14, 2025, the young actor delivered a heartfelt speech about his victory. Talking about his journey, he shared that there is nothing that cannot be achieved if focus and determination are put into it.

In his speech, Owen Cooper stated:

"I was nothing about three years ago and I’m here now. So, I think if you're listening, you're focusing, and you just step out of your comfort zone a little bit. Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible.”

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Owen Cooper shares his journey and expresses gratitude in his speech at the 2025 Emmy Awards

Owen Cooper giving a speech at the 2025 Emmy Awards (Image via YouTube/@televisionacad)

Owen Cooper's fresh start in the industry earned him big at the 2025 Emmy Awards. The actor featured in Netflix's hit series, Adolescence, as the lead character, Jamie. Contesting against several prominent actors in the category, Cooper's first win became one of the highlights of this year's award ceremony.

After receiving the award, Cooper took to the stage to share his speech for the achievement. Calling it an unbelievable feat, the actor shared:

"Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didn’t expect to be in the United States, never mind here..."

He shared how ditching the comfort zone and taking a focused approach makes anything happen. He continued:

"...but I think tonight proves that if you listen and you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life."

Owen Cooper went on to extend gratitude to his family, Netflix, and his close ones. Talking about the cast and crew of Adolescence, he stated:

"But, it may have my name on this award, but it really belongs to the people behind the camera, and Stephen (Graham) and all the cast."

Alongside Cooper, the other nominees in the category included Javier Bardem for Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story, Bill Camp for Presumed Innocent, Rob Delaney for Dying for S*x, Peter Sarsgaard for Presumed Innocent, and Ashley Walters for Adolescence.

As mentioned by The Guardian, the record for the youngest winner at the Emmys is held by Roxana Zal (won at the age of 14) for her role in Something About Amelia (1984).

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Owen Cooper's role in Adolescence

Owen Cooper wins for his role in Adolescence at the 2025 Emmy Awards (Image via YouTube/@televisionacad)

Owen Cooper's character, Jamie Miller, in Adolescence became a major topic of discussion among global audiences. In the series, Jamie is arrested on suspicion of murdering his female classmate, Katie Leonard. Themes of toxic online cultures and misogyny become central to Cooper's role in the show.

As the story progresses, the complexity of Owen Cooper's character and his problematic perceptions of women surface. While his thoughts and actions unravel, Jamie's family is left wondering how things turned out to be this way.

The synopsis of the series reads as follows:

"When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist and the detective in charge are all left asking: what really happened?"

Along with Cooper's achievement at the Emmy Awards, the show won several accolades at the event. Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, Philip Barantini, and Jack Thorne also won in different categories. The show also won the award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. The elaborate list of awards makes the hit Netflix show one of the big winners at this year's Emmy Awards.

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Watch Adolescence on Netflix.