At 15 years Owen Cooper Is now the youngest Primetime Emmy winner for outstanding support actors in a limited or anthology series or film – and the youngest male actor, the period. The star “Adolescence” took home the trophy on Sunday evening and knocked out its five adults with nominees: Costar Ashley Walters, plus Javier Bardem, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard and Rob Delaney.
Cooper had already made history in July when he became the youngest nominees ever in the supporting actor in a limited series of serial. Now he has the gold to seal his place in the record books. Not too bad for a child outside Manchester, England, who had no actor experience before Netflix’s limited series was created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham.
Before this year’s ceremony, Jharrel Jerome was the youngest actor in a limited series winner, an honor he earned in 2019 at the age of 21 for Netflix “when they see us.”
Cooper is not the youngest overall actor. This distinction still belongs to Roxana Zal, who was 14 when she won the Best Supporting actress in a limited series of 1984 for “something about Amelia.”
Kristy McNichol also has an impressive record as the only person who won two Primetime Emmys before she turned 18. She took home her first statue on her fifteenth birthday in 1977 for (the now suspended category) outstanding the performance of a supportive actress in a drama series for “Family.” Two years later, she picked up outstanding support actress in a drama series for the same show.
Other young winners in the actress categories include Zendaya, who was 24 years old when she became the youngest ever outstanding principal actress in a drama series 2020 for “Euphoria”; Michael J. Fox, 25, outstanding main actor in a comedy series for “Family Ties” in 1986; Richard Thomas, 21, outstanding main actor in a drama series for “The Walton’s” in 1973; Scott Jacoby, 16, outstanding support actor for the TV movie “That Some Summer” 1973; Anthony Murphy, 17, outstanding main actor for PBS Limited series “Tom Browns Schodays” 1973.
And the youngest nominees ever won? In the first place is Keshia Knight Pulliam, who got a comedy that supports actress Nick for “The Cosby Show” in 1986, when she was only 6 years old. Tied to others are Fred Savage and Millie Bobby Brown, both 13 when they got their first noms – he for comedy main actor in 1989 for “The Wonder Years” and she for drama that supports actress 2017 for “Stranger Things.”
Other remarkable young’uns recognized by the TV Academy but did not win: Malcolm Jamal Warner, 16, who supported comedy actors for “The Cosby Show” in 1986; Asante Blackk, 17, Limited Series Supporting Actor for “When They See Us” 2019; Claire Danes, 16, leading drama actress for “My So-Called Life” 1995; And Patty Duke, 18, continued the main actor for “The Patty Duke Show” in 1964.
