Adolescence star Owen Cooper has shared his fears about the success of the hit Netflix drama.
The 15-year-old became the breakout star of the harrowing Stephen Graham series with his chilling portrayal of Jamie Miller, a student accused of brutally killing a teenage girl.
The Philip Barantini-directed show highlights the terrifying world of young boys being radicalized on the internet by the “manosphere,” where misogynists encourage hostile behaviour toward women.
Drawing in 114 million viewers in less than a month, Adolescence has been lauded so fervently for its portrayal of the difficult topic that Netflix has vowed to screen it for free in schools with the support of the UK government.
However, Cooper admitted he’s less than pleased about this development, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “I just don't like watching myself - and now Jack [co-creator Jack Thorne] says it's going into schools… that's my worst nightmare!”
The teenager spoke to the outlet alongside co-stars Graham - who created the show - as well as Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty.
“I haven't watched the show fully,” Cooper said.
“I'm not watching it in my own school, no chance. I’d watch episode one, maybe two and four - but not three,” he added, referring ironically to the episode where his character most shines.
The student has already been booked for some huge projects since his breakout role - including playing young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s new version of Wuthering Heights which stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
Cooper, who is from the town of Warrington between Liverpool and Manchester, recently described the surreal experience of returning to school after Adolescence aired.
He told The New York Times it was “a bit mad” going back to class and that he had “a bit of bother” from some classmates.
When his onscreen father Graham asked what kind of “bother,” he said it was nothing serious - just some children coming up to him, shouting his name and then running away.
Show director Barantini praised Cooper’s “natural born talent” during an interview with The Standard last month.
He said: “This was his first ever job. I’ve worked with so many actors who can't do what he can do. It's just natural, he's natural born talent.”
The director also praised how Owen dealt with the show being filmed in one take.
“There were times when I'd be sat with him in rehearsals giving him notes,” the director said.
“We'd just be talking about it and I was thinking he doesn't want to be here, he’s absolutely bored, but he wasn’t.
“He was properly concentrating and taking it all in. I only realised that when he get on set and all the notes that I'd given him were just bang on. And even more so, he would use his own initiative to do stuff.
“He became really confident. He wasn't scared to try stuff in the moment.”
