On September 14, Owen Cooper, star of the show “Adolescence,” made history by becoming the youngest male to ever win an Emmy. He won best supporting actor for “Adolescence,” and the show was his first real piece of work, which he began filming when he was only 14. The youngest male actor to win an Emmy before Cooper was Scott Jacoby, who won his Emmy in 1973, which was 52 years ago. This shows just how big a feat Cooper has just accomplished.
A couple of years before he won this award, Cooper was just a normal kid who had recently started drama classes. Fast forward two to three years, and he is now the youngest male Emmy winner ever. As Cooper accepted his award, he stated, “I was nothing about three years ago. 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 can get embarrassed? Anything can be possible.”
Cooper’s performance in Adolescence has been seen as exemplary in the acting and media industry. He provoked feelings from everyone who watched the show, and obviously, the critics and Emmy members who voted. Cooper’s acting career has skyrocketed after his performance and Emmy win, as he already has a role in Emerald Fenell’s adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.”
“I watched ‘Adolescence’ and it was good,” said Rosie Chavez, a student at ERHS, when asked about Cooper’s performance. “It was a hard watch at times because of the material, but it was really good and Owen was really good in it, and I think he should just keep doing what he’s doing because it’s obviously working.”
The series itself and Cooper’s performance have raised awareness for the cycle of bullying and violence, as well as how masculinity is portrayed in the eyes of society. It also shows how misogyny plays a part in how men and boys function in a society. This is getting people to talk about uncomfortable topics, and because of Cooper’s recent Emmy win and how many Emmys the show won overall, “Adolescence” will continue to get more recognition and views, and people will continue to have the tough conversations and spread awareness about these troubling ideologies and actions that continue to create violence.
