Adolescence: How Owen Cooper's Gripping Audition Tapes Made Him Netflix's Breakout Star Despite Acting for First Time

Owen Cooper's scintillating Adolescence audition tapes showcase his innate ability to act. Keep reading to find out more about the breakout star.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 25, 2025 | 02:20 PM GMT | 4.8K

Youtube / Netflix

Netflix's sleeper hit Adolescence remains in the news not only for its unflinching exploration of online incel culture and one-take filmmaking technique but also for the standout performance of first-time actor, 15-year-old Owen Cooper.

Now, Netflix has offered a glimpse behind the scenes at Cooper's initial audition tapes—and they're just as riveting as his on-screen performance.

Cooper, a newcomer with no previous credits, surprised audiences in the role of Jamie, a brooding teenager whose arrest for the murder of a classmate sets the intense four-part series in motion. His acting, both raw and cold, has garnered widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences.

The newly released audition clips make it obvious why he got the role: Cooper's emotional range and presence are evident, even in those initial, improvised scenes.

Director Phillip Baranti said he was blown away by Cooper's talent. He told Variety, "Actors train for years and years and still can’t really master what Owen has mastered."

Cooper's Adolescence co-star Erin Doherty compared working with him to working with a veteran actor. She called him "unreal" and expressed a desire to collaborate with him again, praising his professionalism and emotional depth on set.

Doherty told Glamour UK, "It felt like working with an actor who had been doing it for 50 years. Like, he’s just unreal. I would work with him for the rest of my days if I could. I felt so supported by him – as I hope he did by me."

Co-star and co-creator Stephen Graham shared the same sentiment, likening Cooper's natural ability to that of Jodie Comer when she was 17. "What I saw in Owen was the exact same thing I saw in Jodie Comer when Jodie was 17. I saw the same kind of ability, the same kind of natural talent, and just a real presence. He just blew my mind," Graham told Vanity Fair.

Owen Cooper's ascent isn't slowing down after Netflix's Adolescence. He will next appear as young Heathcliff alongside Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. It will arrive on February 13, 2026.