Sixteen-year-old Adolescence star Owen Cooper has made awards history, toppling a long-standing record once held by Kate Winslet. The young actor took home Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series at this year’s Actor Awards — the ceremony formerly known as the SAG Awards before its recent rebranding.
With the win, Cooper became the youngest individual recipient in the event’s history, surpassing Kate Winslet, who was 20 when she earned her first trophy for playing Marianne Dashwood in Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, alongside Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant.
Cooper claimed the title for his unsettling portrayal of a 13-year-old schoolboy who murders a female classmate in Adolescence. He triumphed over a competitive field that included Stephen Graham, who portrayed his character’s father and co-created the miniseries with Jack Thorne.
Unable to attend the Los Angeles ceremony, Cooper had his award accepted on his behalf by presenter Damson Idris, who joked to the crowd: “I’ll be taking this home, thank you.”
Although no official explanation was given for his absence, Cooper is currently filming Cry to Heaven, the latest directing effort from fashion designer Tom Ford, according to IMDb. The film, adapted from Anne Rice’s 1982 novel, follows the story of a castrated Italian nobleman in the 18th century who rises to fame as an opera soprano.
The project boasts a major ensemble cast, including Adele in her acting debut, alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Hoult, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Thandiwe Newton, Paul Bettany, Ciarán Hinds, Hunter Schafer and Pedro Pascal’s sister, Lux. Reports from Screen Daily indicate that filming is underway in Italy and the UK, which would explain Cooper’s absence from Sunday’s ceremony.
Interestingly, Winslet also missed her own SAG Awards win in 1996 due to filming commitments — she was working on Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, in which she played Ophelia.
Cooper’s latest victory continues an extraordinary awards streak for Adolescence, which he filmed at just 14 years old. Last September, at age 15, he became the youngest male actor ever to win a Primetime Emmy, earning recognition for a supporting role in a limited or anthology series. Backstage, he told reporters the award “means so much” to him, his family, and supporters back home, according to E! News.
He also joked that his friends in the UK were likely asleep since it was “about four in the morning,” but said they would be “over the moon” once they heard the news.
In January, while still studying for his GCSE exams, Cooper made history again by becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor on Television. That achievement made him the second-youngest Golden Globe winner of all time, behind The Champ star Ricky Schroder, who was just nine when he won New Star of the Year in 1980.
During his Golden Globes speech, Cooper reflected on his early doubts about acting. “What started off as what I thought I might be okay at — I might be awful at — I took a risk and went to drama classes. I was the only boy there. It was embarrassing but I got through it,” he shared.
He humbly added that he still considers himself “an apprentice,” learning every day from the seasoned performers around him. “I wouldn’t be here without you guys. This is mad. What is going on?” he said in disbelief.
Adolescence has been a major awards-season standout, earning recognition not only for Cooper but also for Graham and co-star Erin Doherty.
