Owen Cooper’s audition tape for the series Adolescence has taken the internet by storm, with viewers predicting a bright future for the young actor.
Earlier this month, Adolescence, a new miniseries from Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, premiered on Netflix to rave reviews.
The four-part drama centers on the arrest of Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old accused of murdering a classmate, and explores his radicalization through online incel and misogynistic ideologies.
Fifteen-year-old Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie, was selected from over 500 hopefuls for the role. Now, his audition tape has surfaced online.
“I didn’t even know this got filmed,” Cooper mentioned in a conversation with fellow cast member Erin Doherty.
The audition footage shows a younger Owen portraying Jamie, proclaiming his innocence in the murder of his classmate.
“I hated that, I hated that,” Cooper commented after watching the tape.
Erin Doherty reassured him, “Well you’re not supposed to like looking at yourself. But that was great!”
Cooper, hailing from Warrington, noted that he believed the audition tape played a crucial role in him landing the part.
Watch the scene unfold below:
Fans have shared their thoughts on the tape, with one user on X saying, “If he (or mostly his parents) makes the right choices, this kid’s gonna be a star,” and praising his performance in episode three.
Another fan commented, “That’s lovely to see how far they’ve both come! It’s inspiring to witness growth like that.”
A third remarked, “Must’ve been one hell of an audition if he landed that role.”
In previous interviews, Cooper has discussed his experience auditioning for Adolescence at such a young age.
“I was doing acting as a hobby and taking drama lessons. I didn’t expect anything to come of it, but then I got the audition and my mindset changed,” he shared with the Royal Television Society.
“It was scary at first, but then I met Phil and Stephen, and I got comfortable pretty quickly,” he explained.
Cooper also revealed that understanding his character’s mindset was the toughest part of filming the series.
Speaking to Metro, which reports that fans have labeled his Netflix performance as ‘Oscar-worthy’, Cooper explained that his co-stars were instrumental in helping him grasp his character’s incel mindset.
“With the help of Stephen and Phil and Erin, they helped me into it. But I’ll probably say his view on other people is the most challenging part of Jamie to play,” he added.
Following his role in Adolescence, Cooper is set to feature in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.
The film stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Shazad Latif from Star Trek as Edgar Linton. Cooper will play a younger Heathcliff, the story’s troubled protagonist.
Euphoria star Jacob Elordi, who appeared in Fennell’s Saltburn, will portray the older Heathcliff in the Warner Bros. production.
Cooper mentioned that both Robbie and Elordi spoke with him on set while having their makeup done, indicating the collaborative nature of the production.
Wuthering Heights is scheduled for release in the United States on February 13, 2026.