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Owen Cooper’s audition tape for Adolescence has taken social media by storm, with fans already marking him as a rising star to watch. The 15-year-old actor, who clinched the role of Jamie Miller after competing against 500 other hopefuls, is now at the center of a viral moment and for a very good reason.
The latest crime drama on Netflix, created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, has been making waves since its debut earlier this month. The story unravels the chilling case of a 13-year-old schoolboy arrested for the brutal murder of his female classmate, with each of its four episodes unfolding in a single, uninterrupted take. The gripping storytelling and its unflinching look at online radicalization have earned high praise, but it’s Cooper’s hauntingly real performance that’s left audiences speechless.
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First acting job.
First episode to be filmed.
First time being on set.
AND HE DELIVERS THIS!Advertisement
View QuizOwen Cooper, you’re a star. #Adolescence pic.twitter.com/dL9fvDuGdF
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) March 20, 2025
Now, Cooper’s audition tape, which has provided an unfiltered glimpse into his raw talent, surfaced online, sending fans into a frenzy.
“I didn’t even know this got filmed,” the UK actor said during a video with fellow Adolescence alumna Erin Doherty. In the clip, a visibly younger Cooper embodies Jamie, desperately pleading his innocence to which even he seemed rattled watching it back.
“I hated that, I hated that,” Cooper said after the tape finished. “Well you’re not supposed to like looking at yourself,” Doherty replied. “But that was great!”
Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty react to Owen’s audition tape for Jamie in Adolescence. pic.twitter.com/uanxDbluHa
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— Netflix (@netflix) March 23, 2025
Viewers were just as impressed. One X user declared, “If he (or mostly his parents) makes the right choices, this kid’s gonna be a star. What he does in episode three is amazing. Too bad they left him almost entirely out of episode four. Big mistake.”
A second replied, “That’s lovely to see how far they’ve both come! It’s inspiring to witness growth like that.” “Must’ve been one hell of an audition if he landed that role,” another remarked.
Cooper himself has spoken about how daunting the audition process was at such a young age.
“I was doing acting as a hobby and doing drama lessons, but I didn’t expect anything to come of it but then I got the audition and my head changed,” he told the Royal Television Society. “It was scary at first but then I met Phil and Stephen so I got comfortable pretty quick,” he explained.
Portraying Jamie, however, came with its own set of challenges. The darkest part? Stepping into the mindset of a character steeped in incel ideology. He credited his castmates, saying, “With the help of Stephen and Phil and Erin, they helped me into it. But I’ll probably say his view on other people is the most challenging part of Jamie to play.”
With his breakout role in Adolescence setting the industry abuzz, Metro has already labeled his performance Oscar-worthy and Cooper is also not showing any signs of slowing down.
According to latest reports, the youngster is set to play a major role in Emerald Fennell’s highly anticipated adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Cooper, starring alongside Hollywood heavyweights Margot Robbie and Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, will play the younger version of Heathcliff, the novel’s tormented antihero.
And if you’re wondering if he’s already rubbing shoulders with A-listers, he is. Both Robbie and Elordi chatted to him on set while getting their makeup done, he casually revealed.
Stephen Graham and Ashley Walters star in ADOLESCENCE. The story of a 13 year old boy accused of murder and a town left asking – how could this happen?
Four real-time, one-take episodes come to Netflix on 13 March. pic.twitter.com/6GUWPwk5q7
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) February 24, 2025
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