Meet Owen Cooper, the actor who plays Jamie in Adolescence: the talented British youngster made his acting debut in the Netflix show; now he’s scored a gig alongside Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie
Owen Cooper’s powerhouse performance as Jamie Miller in Netflix’s vital new drama Adolescence has catapulted the newbie actor straight to the big time – here’s what you need to know about him
New Netflix show Adolescence has been receiving rave reviews since its release earlier this month. With an impressive 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, the one-shot crime drama is split into four episodes and follows the story of a couple whose world collapses when their teenage son gets arrested for the murder of a girl from his school.
Here’s what we know about Owen Cooper, who plays the main character of Jamie Miller on the show.
What is Owen Cooper’s background?
Cooper, 15, is from the north of England – something that connected him and his character on the show, as it was filmed in Yorkshire. “The fact that the story was set in the north and it’s a northern story was the thing that I found most relatable, because I’m also from the north,” he told the Liverpool Echo. Owen is the youngest of three siblings.
In the same interview he admitted he has no idea where he got his acting skills from. “Both of my brothers are electricians and my mum’s a carer,” he said. “My dad works in IT. So, I’ve no clue where it comes from.”
He’s new to acting – literally
It may be hard to believe, given his natural abilities, but Adolescence is Cooper’s first acting role – ever. “I only really wanted to start acting a couple of years ago,” he told Variety. “It’s not been long. I grew up wanting to be a footballer. I don’t know what it was that made me want to do it, but I just wanted to do it.”