Owen Cooper, the breakout star of the Netflix limited series 'Adolescence', has won the BAFTA TV Award for best supporting actor, according to Variety. The win on Sunday night completes an astonishing full set of major awards for the 16-year-old's first-ever screen role.
Historic Achievement
The victory cements Cooper's place in television history. He had already become the youngest actor to win the four major U.S. TV awards: the Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Critics' Choice Award for his performance in 'Adolescence'. Nearly 14 months after the series launched, it has achieved a near-perfect clean sweep of wins, also including honors at the Gotham Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and Royal Television Society Awards. The remarkable awards run has now been completed at the BAFTAs.
Cooper's Emotional Acceptance
"Wow, it's heavy, that's to be fair. A year ago this time last year, I was presenting an award, and now I'm collecting one, so this is a bit mad," Cooper said, as quoted by Variety. He added, "Thank you to BAFTA. Thank you to the 'Adolescence' family, and they are family now. In the words of John Lennon, you won't get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it." Cooper also listed three things needed to succeed in life: "One, an obsession. Two, a dream. And three, the Beatles."
About 'Adolescence'
'Adolescence' is a record-breaking cultural behemoth. The four-part limited series, co-created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, features Cooper as Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old accused of murdering a female classmate. Cast at age 13 with no previous professional acting experience, Cooper appears in three of the four episodes and became the show's immediate breakout star. His central episode, filmed in a single, continuous, hour-long take opposite Erin Doherty as clinical psychologist Briony Ariston, earned both actors particular critical recognition and was nominated for the BAFTA TV Memorable Moment Award.
Other Nominees and Co-Star Win
Cooper was nominated alongside Ashley Walters in 'Adolescence', Fehinti Balogun in 'Down Cemetery Road', Joshua McGuire in 'The Gold', Paddy Considine in 'Mobland', and Rafael Mathe in 'The Death of Bunny Munro', as reported by Variety. Cooper's co-star Christine Tremarco, who played his mother in the series, also won the BAFTA TV Award for best supporting actress on Sunday night.
