‘Adolescence’ star Owen Cooper becomes youngest-ever supporting actor winner at Golden Globes

Sixteen-year-old Owen Cooper, who stars in “Adolescence”, won his first Golden Globe on Sunday night, securing the award for male actor in a supporting role on television. With the victory, Cooper became the youngest-ever recipient in this category, surpassing Chris Colfer, who was 20 when he won for “Glee” in 2010.

The achievement also places Cooper as the second-youngest male winner in Golden Globe history. The record for the youngest male Globe winner remains with Ricky Schroder, who was just nine years old when he received the honour in 1980 for “The Champ” under the new star of the year category.

During his acceptance remarks, Cooper thanked the organisers for honouring his performance.

"Wow, standing here with a Golden Globe, it does not feel real whatsoever," he began. "What an incredible journey me and my family have been put through. We are forever grateful for what these people have done for me and my family. What started off as, what I thought [was], 'I might be okay, I might be awful. I never know.' So I took a risk, and I went to drama classes."

"I was the only boy there. It was embarrassing," he recalled. “But I got through it, and I’m still very much an apprentice. So still learning every day. I’m still learning from the people that I sat in front of, you sat in front of me, who’s inspired me.”

He went on to thank Netflix and those who have supported him before concluding: "Bring on 2026. You’ll never walk alone."

Adolescence is a limited series that centres on a family in crisis after their 13-year-old son is accused of killing a classmate. The show explores issues such as toxic masculinity while examining how social media shapes and affects young lives.

The Golden Globe marked Cooper’s first-ever nomination and victory at the awards. His co-star Ashley Walters was also nominated in the same category, while Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty received acting nods for their performances. In addition, Adolescence was nominated for Best Television Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television.