Similar to how “Baby Reindeer” took global audiences by surprise last year, introducing the world to the talents of Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, and Nava Mau — all three of whom went on to receive a number of accolades — Netflix’s current British import, “Adolescence,” is building a strong following and appreciation mostly on the power of its young lead star, breakout Owen Cooper. The four-episode series sees Cooper play a young, disturbed boy who’s online habits have turned deadly. The fallout of his actions are felt by a number of people, including his father, played by the show’s co-creator, Stephen Graham.
Speaking in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, in discussing the casting of Cooper, Graham shared that his audition left little room for questions on whether he was the right choice for such a complicated and dark role. In doing a chemistry read opposite him, Graham was reminded of another young talent he got to share the screen with before they blew up in the zeitgeist.
“There was just a piece of magic within. I don’t mean this to sound trite, but you try and catch lightning in a bottle. We were just in the moment of something, and he looked at me in a certain way…. And what I saw in Owen was the exact same thing I saw in Jodie Comer when Jodie was 17,” Graham said.
The two worked together on the 2012 police procedural “Good Cop.” Of what Cooper and Comer shared, Graham added, “I saw the same kind of ability, the same kind of natural talent, and just a real presence. He just blew my mind.”
This comfort and discipline extended to the taxing shoot, all done in one take for each episode, which required the cast to perform as if they were doing live theater. Though Graham had concerns for how Cooper would be handle the pressure of this style, he was quickly given comfort by the young actor’s fortitude.
“Every time he’d finish a take, we’d ask, ‘Are you okay?’” said Graham. “And he’d be like, ‘Yep, fine,’ and he’d go up and just play swing ball.”
Though this was Cooper’s first big role, it’s already yielded him further opportunities. His next project, Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, happens to be one of 2026’s most anticipated features.
“It’s my first period [film],” Cooper told Vanity Fair. “I was shocked about all the costumes. The costume is crazy — like, it’s mad. It’s all new to me. And working on a massive set is mind-blowing.”
“Adolescence” is currently streaming on Netflix.
