A standout performer from one of the most anticipated series of 2025 has made history at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards by being the youngest male actor to ever win in his category.
The 2026 awards season has commenced with the Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica. On this Sunday (January 5), the event is celebrating top talents from the realms of film, television, and music in California.
The Netflix series Adolescence, released in March 2025, has been highly acclaimed, earning several accolades. Among these is 16-year-old Owen Cooper’s victory for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television.
Adolescence features Peaky Blinders actor Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, whose teenage son Jamie, played by Cooper, is implicated in a murder. The impressive portrayal by Cooper is all the more remarkable given his lack of prior acting experience.
Owen Cooper’s groundbreaking achievement at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards marks him as the youngest male actor recipient ever, as confirmed by Disgusting Film.
Owen Cooper has become the youngest male actor winner of all time at the Critics Choice Awards for his performance in ‘ADOLESCENCE’ pic.twitter.com/aPyt9fI8XL
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 5, 2026
In a conversation on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, Stephen Graham revealed that Cooper was selected from a pool of 500 auditioning boys.
The creators of the series, including Graham, specifically sought someone with limited acting background. Casting director Shaheen Baig aimed to introduce a fresh face to the industry.
“She saw over 500 young lads for this, and no disrespect, we didn’t want anyone who had a lot of experience, we wanted someone who is fresh and not used to the whole way that we work, so we saw 500 at least, and we narrowed it down to 5, and he’s one of those lads that was brilliant,” Graham remarked.
Following the debut of Adolescence, Cooper’s audition tape surfaced online.
Congratulations to Owen Cooper, winner of the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for “Adolescence.”@CriticsChoice #criticschoice #criticschoiceawards pic.twitter.com/Vhd6Km3DC6
— Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) January 5, 2026
“I didn’t even know this got filmed,” Owen expressed in a video alongside fellow Adolescence actress Erin Doherty.
The audition footage shows a younger Owen portraying Jamie, asserting his innocence regarding the fatal stabbing of a classmate.
“I hated that, I hated that,” Cooper commented after watching the tape.
“Well you’re not supposed to like looking at yourself,” Doherty responded. “But that was great!”
The young British actor believes that this specific audition tape was pivotal in securing his role as Graham’s conflicted son.