15-year-old ‘Adolescence’ star makes Emmys history as youngest male actor winner

(AP) - In a piece of Emmys history, a 15-year-old was named the youngest male actor winner for his work as a troubled killer in “Adolescence.”

Owen Cooper, 15, shattered the Emmy record for youngest male acting winner when he won best supporting actor in a limited or anthology series Sunday night. “Adolescence,” a four-part Netflix series that traces the emotional fallout after a U.K. teenage stabbing, became a sensation, a sort of 2025 version of last year’s “Bad Reindeer.”

In his acceptance speech, Cooper revealed he only started acting classes a few years ago and encouraged those watching to step out of their comfort zones.

“A couple years back I didn’t expect to be in the United States, let alone here. Tonight proves if you listen, you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. I was nothing three years ago. I’m here now,” he said.

The record for youngest male actor had previously been held by Scott Jacoby, who was 16 when he won in the supporting drama actor trophy for “The Certain Summer” in 1973. The youngest Emmy winner ever is Roxana Zal, who won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a limited series in 1984 at age 14.

Cooper beat Javier Bardem, Bill Camp, Rob Delaney, Peter Sarsgaard and his “Adolescence” co-star Ashley Walters.