‘I was Owen Cooper’s drama teacher – he’s inspired a great uptake of boys to act’

Owen Cooper might have thought it was ‘embarrassing’ to be the only boy in his drama class – but his former teacher has said the actor has now inspired many other boys to take up the craft.

Last year the teenager from Warrington had a rapid rise to fame after starring in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Adolescence.

In it, he played schoolboy Jamie Miller who is accused of murdering a girl who attends his school, with Stephen Graham playing his dad.

One review hailed Owen’s performance as potentially ‘the best debut ever seen by a child actor’, while others said he was ‘phenomenal’ and ‘flawless’.

Six months after Adolescence’s release, Owen won a National Television Award for drama performance – and has since gone on to pick up an Emmy, Critics Choice and, overnight, a Golden Globe.

In his speech Owen, now 16, spoke about his start taking classes at The Drama MOB in Manchester.

‘What started off as what I thought I might be OK at, I might be awful at, I took a risk and I went to drama classes, I was the only boy there, it was embarrassing but I got through,’ he said.

Despite his early uncertainty in his talent, one person who never questioned Owen’s ability was his teacher Esther Morgan – who co-founded the drama school with Tina O’Brien.

Speaking to Metro following Owen’s win, she recalled her early belief in the young actor, who would attend weekly drama classes at her school.

‘He was brilliant. In his speech, he said he didn’t think he was good enough, but it just makes me smile, because he was always brilliant. But I think it can be like that for boys when they walk into a drama class,’ she explained.

Since Owen catapulted to fame over the past year, Esther said there’d been a notable increase in boys wanting to try their hand at acting too.

‘I must say, since the back of Owen doing this, we’ve had a really great uptake of boys joining, which is just incredible,’ she said.

‘Drama is brilliant for everybody, but I think especially for boys. I also say that as a mum of two boys who go to drama classes. They can express themselves and meet other people and learn so many skills.’

Owen attended The Drama MOB for two years, starting when he was 12. Reflecting on what sort of student he was, Esther said Owen was ‘funny and got on with everybody and was up for a laugh’.

‘But when it came to the acting, he was really focused and listened and took direction really well and took it all on board. He wasn’t messing around when it came to doing the acting – you could tell he really wanted it and probably didn’t know how good he was himself when he first started.’

Although it might seem like Owen lucked out with his first TV role, Esther said he’d worked incredibly hard in the lead-up and had even missed out on being cast in several other projects.

‘Before Adolescence, he had auditioned and taped for several shows and didn’t get them, which is actually a great lesson for everybody, as they might just not be right for a role. It’s not about being good enough and I think Owen is proof of that,’ she said.

‘Although he didn’t get some roles, he didn’t give up. And for him it paid off.’

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Owen was cast in Adolescence after Stephen, who co-created the series, insisted on casting an unknown northern actor for the role, saying that the production team wanted to give the chance to young people who ‘may not normally have those opportunities’.

Watching on as Owen swept awards around the world since the show hit screens, Esther said she felt ‘incredibly proud’ of his achievements to date.

‘When he first won a National Television Award, we were like, “Wow, somebody from our school has won an NTA!” Then obviously he went on to win the Emmy, which was huge, and then a Critics’ Choice and now a Golden Globe!’ she exclaimed.

‘For the young people who come to us, it is such a great inspiration, and they remember him… a lot of the kids that were in his class are still with us now. And we can say to them, “Look where it’s led and where it can lead”,’ she added.

The Golden Globes category Owen was a nominee in saw him face experienced and esteemed actors such as Billy Crudup, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs and even his own co-star Ashley Walters.

However, Esther admitted she had no question her former student would snap up that award too.

‘I had a feeling he was going to win it; I’m not going to lie. I just thought, “Of course he will.” Even if he didn’t, what he’s achieved and the fact he’s got everybody talking and the strength of the story – he’s proved himself in that programme, which is just fantastic,’ she said.

Although Owen has been jetting to and from the UK and the United States to attend glitzy ceremonies, Esther said he was still grounded and was ‘living the life as an everyday 16-year-old boy’, attending school and with plans to finish his GCSEs.

However, she also pointed to his parents, Andy and Noreen, as an important part of his success, explaining that family support is essential for child actors.

‘It’s massively important and helps keep their feet on the ground. Nobody knew how big this was going to go. We have a number of children in soaps, and we can usually prepare them for something like that. But for something like this, we all went to it blind,’ she shared.

@metroentertainment

Owen Cooper making history 👏🏼 Adolescence star Owen Cooper has broken another record after taking home the @goldenglobes for Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television. He has now won the Golden Globe, Emmy and Critics Choice 🏆 #owencooper #adolescence #british #awards #goldenglobes #actors

♬ original sound – Metro Entertainment – Metro Entertainment

‘I don’t think Owen could have ever been prepared for how big it would go, none of us could. I remember being in a coffee shop a day or two after the first episode came out and it was all anybody was talking about. And you think, “Oh wow, this is going big.”

‘I also think the fact he has such a supportive mum and dad would have kept him grounded throughout it.’

Esther went on to share that she still checked in with Owen and his parents regularly.

‘We will always check in and he is still very much still as he was,’ she said. ‘We are the place where he started and it’s lovely he mentions his drama classes, as it’s great for people to hear and see that’s where it started off.’

Adolescence is streaming on Netflix.

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