Adolescence star Owen Cooper won his first Golden Globe on Monday (IST), taking the trophy for best actor in a supporting role on television and making history as the youngest winner in the category.
Cooper, 16, surpassed Chris Colfer, who was 20 when he won for Glee in 2010. The win also makes Cooper the second-youngest male Golden Globe winner of all time. The Champ star Ricky Schroder remains the youngest, having won new star of the year in 1980 at age 9.
“Standing here at the Golden Globes does not feel real whatsoever. What an incredible journey me and my family has been put through,” Cooper said in his acceptance speech, drawing laughter from the audience. “We are forever grateful for what these people have done for me and my family.”
During his speech, Cooper said he was the only boy in his drama class. While “it was embarrassing,” he said he “got through it.” He added that he is “still learning every day,” particularly from fellow actors in the room.
The Golden Globe win adds to a growing list of accolades for the young actor. Cooper previously won the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie, becoming the youngest-ever male acting winner in Emmy history. He was recognised for his performance as Jamie Miller in the Netflix miniseries Adolescence, which marked his breakout role.
At the Globes, Cooper competed in the supporting actor category against Ashley Walters (Adolescence), Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Tramell Tillman (Severance) and Walton Goggins (The White Lotus).
The Netflix series earned five Golden Globe nominations this year. In addition to Cooper, Stephen Graham won the award for best performance by a male actor in a limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television. Erin Doherty won for best performance by a female actor in a supporting role on television. Adolescence also won the award for best limited series.