Owen Cooper became the definition of an overnight sensation when he starred in Netflix’s Adolescence alongside industry giants such as Stephen Graham and Ashley Walters.
Adolescence was the only thing people were talking about in March, in part due to Owen Cooper’s standout performance. He was just 14 during filming in 2024, and it was his first major acting gig as well. Seriously impressive does not begin to describe his acting chops.
“He just absolutely blew me away,” director Phillip Barantini earlier told Variety. “Actors train for years and years and still can’t really master what Owen has mastered, which is basically just being in the moment and listening and being truthful.”
It’s easy to forget that Owen is still a kid and has other priorities besides starring in TV and film, but here’s what he’s been up to since.
Owen Cooper has shot up since starring in Adolescence
During recent media appearances, people were shocked at just how much older Owen Cooper looks now, a year after filming the highly acclaimed Netflix show, Adolescence.
“Wait, it’s the guy from Adolescence? No way,” one person wrote on TikTok.
Another wrote: “From a council state to Jimmy Fallon is absolutely insane.”
“Is it just me, or does he look like Jamie Miller from Adolescence?” another joked.
I know how aging works, after all, we were all teenagers once, but Owen does look significantly taller than when we last saw him on our TV screens.
He recently won an award
@marius_luv Congrats to Owen so proud of you!! #OwenCooper #adolescence #TheGothamsAwards2025 #fypシ #viral #fyp #viralvideo #televisionawards
Even before people had watched the whole show, they were calling for Owen Cooper to win all the awards for his role in Adolescence. Though he was overlooked for Emmy nominations for a rather smart reason, Owen won his first trophy at the 35th Gotham Awards earlier this week.
A humble king, he said in his acceptance speech: “The main person that I have to thank is Erin [Doherty], who is also nominated for this award. That episode that we did together, it was easy to do it with you and it was such an honor to share this award with you. You deserve this award just as much as I do, so round of applause for Erin please.”
He was in a random TikTok with THEE Millie Bobby Brown
@liverpoolfc Checking in with Millie and Owen ahead of kick-off
#milliebobbybrown #owencooper #Anfield
In a crossover event literally no one saw coming, Owen Cooper appeared in a TikTok with Millie Bobby Brown on Liverpool Football Club’s official account. They were there to support Liverpool’s attempt at a Premier League title, and though he’s only been in the industry for a year, he fit right in alongside Millie, who also entered acting in her early teens.
Reacting to the collab, one person wrote: “Owen Cooper and Millie Bobby Brown in the same stadium is crazy.”
“Owen Cooper looks so tall and Millie looks so beautiful,” another said.
He appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show
@fallontonight Jimmy taste tests Owen Cooper’s favorite British sweets & treats! #FallonTonight #TonightShow #OwenCooper #Adolescence #JimmyFallon
Just this week, Owen Cooper sat down to talk all things Adolescence on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Though they did largely talk about his time on the show and growing up in the UK, the most viral moment came when Owen introduced the American TV host to a range of British snacks. Top picks included Maltesers, which they apparently don’t have in America, Sour Patch Kids, Monster Munch, and Wine Gums.
What’s Adolescence’s Owen Cooper working on now?
Over the next few years, I’m willing to bet that we’ll see Owen Cooper in a bunch of high-profile projects, that is, once he manages to complete his very important GCSEs. Already, he featured in Sam Fender’s music video for Little Bit Closer.
In terms of upcoming projects, Owen is set to play the younger version of Jacob Elordi’s Wuthering Heights character, Heathcliff, alongside Margot Robbie, Hong Chau, and Alison Oliver. Going from a small British project to a film directed by Saltburn’s Emerald Fennell is truly insane work.
Owen is also starring in Film Club, a TV miniseries starring Fola Evans-Akingbola, Arian Nik, Jean-Pascal Heynemand, and Suranne Jones.
“Two movie enthusiasts, Tom and Evie, share a weekly film club where their unspoken feelings for each other grow. When Tom decides to move away for work, Evie has a limited time to confess her love before potentially losing him forever,” the official description reads.
You love to see it, and we couldn’t be more thrilled for Owen Cooper.
Adolescence is on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
Featured image credit: The Tonight Show/Netflix/Liverpool FC TikTok
