Owen Cooper Wins Emmy For Adolescence ( Photo Credit – Netflix )
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When the winners of the 2025 Emmy Awards were announced, several shows emerged as major standouts: Apple TV+’s satirical comedy The Studio, HBO’s crime drama The Penguin, Netflix’s British psychological crime drama Adolescence, and Apple TV+’s sci-fi psychological thriller Severance. Among them, Adolescence was a big winner, taking home six major awards. Notably, 15-year-old English actor Owen Cooper won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. This has sparked an intriguing question: Is Owen Cooper the youngest actor ever to win an Emmy? Let’s find out.
Adolescence wins 8 Emmy awards including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
Starring Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Erin Doherty, Ashley Walters, and Christine Tremarco. Created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne. Directed by Philip Barantini. pic.twitter.com/ps5kBiyq1m
Fact Check: Is Owen Cooper The Youngest Emmy Winner?
At just 15, Owen Cooper became the youngest ‘male’ actor to win an Emmy, breaking the previous record held by Scott Jacoby, who won for the made-for-TV drama That Certain Summer at the age of 16.
However, is he the youngest person ever to win an acting Emmy? Not quite. That distinction belongs to Roxana Zal, who won at the age of 14 for her performance in the 1984 television film Something About Amelia. And her record still stands today.
According to TMZ, Roxana Zal — the youngest-ever Emmy winner at age 14 — couldn’t be happier for 15-year-old Owen Cooper on making history at Sunday night’s Emmys. She praised his “brilliant and truly mesmerizing performance” in Adolescence and said she was rooting for him to win. Roxana shared how surreal such recognition feels, adding she was touched by his heartfelt thanks to his parents. Her advice to Owen? Stay humble, close to family, and true to himself. From one history-maker to another, she welcomed him to the club.
Here’s a look at some of the youngest Emmy winners, besides Owen Cooper and Roxana Zal.
Kristy McNichol (At Age 15) – For Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Family
Scott Jacoby (At Age 16) – For Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the TV movie That Certain Summer.
Anthony Murphy (At Age 17) – For Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in Tom Brown’s Schooldays.
Jharrel Jerome (At Age 21) – For Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries When They See Us.
Richard Thomas (At Age 21) – For Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in the CBS drama series The Waltons.
What Is Adolescence About?
Directed by Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham, the British psychological drama revolves around a 13-year-old boy, Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested for the murder of a schoolmate. What follows is a series of intense interrogations by the cops and a forensic psychologist, and a curious attempt to understand what led to the horrendous act of violence. It also focuses on how Jamie’s family deals with the immense pressure and scrutiny following his arrest.
