Adolescence star Owen Cooper becomes mum’s ‘mini Harry Styles’ to biggest child star on planet

Although he had no prior acting experience, he impressed in the role of Owen Cooper, which attracted 24 million Netflix viewers since it was released last week.

Owen Cooper – young star of Netflix hit Adolescence – was nicknamed “my mini Harry Styles” by mum Noreen growing up.

Noreen, 51, could not have predicted her youngest son’s rapid rise to fame, given that Adolescence has attracted more than 24 million viewers. For his portrayal of Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy who is suspected of murdering a classmate, critics have hailed Owen, 15, as a “once-in-a-generation talent.”

The drama has been so powerful its creators have accepted an invitation to meet with MPs in Parliament to discuss the dangers of online influence and the need for greater online safety measures. Credit must go to Owen for helping secure this for his work as the youngster, who is seen being detained in the opening scenes of the gritty four-part drama.

Owen has caught the eye in the industry too as he is already filming scenes as young Heathcliff in the 2026 adapation of Wuthering Heights. For this, he is spending time at a 600-year-old former royal residence in Kent with his mother, quite the change from their three-bed terrace in Cheshire.

However, neighbors claim that Owen and his older brother Ollie are determined to maintain modesty because they both enjoy playing football for their under-15s side. Connor, Ollie’s older half-brother, is an electrician, just like Ollie and Owen.

READ MORE: Adolescence star Stephen Graham to meet with MPs following impact of Netflix show

Football was Owen’s passion as a younger lad. The big Liverpool FC fan had said in a recent interview: “I never wanted to be an actor. It wasn’t really in my DNA.” He was also interested in music, so much so Noreen fondly called her son her “mini Harry Styles”. Yet now, Noreen every week makes the hour-long round trip to Didsbury, Manchester, to take Owen to drama classes.

Owen this week appeared on The One Show sofa alongside Hollywood legend Robert De Niro, who offered some words of wisdom to the young star, telling him to “keep at it”. The encounter came as odds tumbled on Owen to pip the acting great to the Best Actor in a Limited Series Emmy. The soft-spoken teenager was a 100/1 shot to win last weekend but has seen the odds fall to 9/1.

Like De Niro, neighbours praised the youngster. Christine Walker, 75, who has known Owen since he was a baby, said: “Owen is always away,” in reference to the lad’s acting opportunities. She noted mum is away with Owen currently for work on Wuthering Heights, which will also feature Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

Source: Mirror