Adolescence star Owen Cooper facing ‘a bit of bother’ since return to school

Owen Cooper has revealed how things have changed since returning to school after the extraordinary success of Netflix’s Adolescence.

Last month the 15-year-old made his acting debut in the four-part series Adolescence, starring alongside Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty.

In it he played schoolboy Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering his classmate Katie Leonard, with the programme now becoming the most-watched Netflix limited series ever.

After spending weeks promoting the show, Owen is now back at school but has said he’s unsure of the attention he’s been receiving.

In a recent interview alongside Stephen, 51, the teenager was asked about the response from his schoolmates.

Explaining how his first day back was a ‘bit mad’, Owen said he received a lot of attention from younger children.

He said the next day was better, with only ‘a bit of bother’.

As he told The New York Times this Stephen, who plays his dad Eddie Miller in the series, ‘sat up alert’ and asked what sort of bother he’d faced.

However, Owen said it wasn’t anything serious. Rather, children would come up to him, shout his name, and then run away.

‘Ah, just some silly boll****,’ Stephen responded while smiling.

Owen initially had aspirations of becoming a footballer but after taking acting classes up as a ‘hobby’, he was hooked.

‘I only really wanted to start acting a couple of years ago,’ he told Variety. “It’s not been long. I grew up wanting to be a footballer. I don’t know what it was that made me want to do it, but I just wanted to do it,’ he told Variety.

‘And then I went to lessons and enjoyed it. And then I got into a little agency thing, and then I got a self-tape request for Adolescence. And everything came from that, really.’

Explaining what it was like watching himself on screen, he said it was ‘weird but also amazing’.

‘Everyone’s been saying such nice things [about my performance]. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t really watch it like I’m watching a normal show. I just watch it because I’m in it. So, I don’t know. But everyone who has spoken to me has said it’s amazing. So yeah, I’ve heard positive things.’

Last week Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the announcement that Adolescence would be shown in schools for free, also explaining to Metro how the series impacted his own family.

‘As a father, watching Adolescence with my teenage son and daughter, it hit home hard,’ he wrote.

‘Adolescence has given a voice to everyone fearful and isolated, wondering what to do and wanting to change the culture of male violence. 

‘It has lit a touchpaper. It may save lives. It has the power to change our country.’

Speaking to Metro ahead of the series’ premiere Owen, who has been hailed ‘the Lionel Messi of acting’, also shared: ‘‘I hope that to the parents it’ll open an eye to them, definitely. Kids’ social media is them. It’s their personal life, but you never know what your child’s doing online, especially with Jamie.’

‘I hope that to the parents it’ll open an eye to them, definitely. Kids’ social media is them. It’s their personal life, but you never know what your child’s doing online, especially with Jamie,’ the actor said.

Owen is next set to appear as a young Heathcliffe in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation, which stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

Speaking to Variety close to the time that Adolescence was being released, Owen said the Wuthering Heights shoot had been going ‘really well’ and described director Fennell as ‘lovely’.

Adolescence is streaming on Netflix.

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