On March 13, Netflix released arguably the best show that the streaming platform, and the world, for that matter, has seen in years. The crime miniseries Adolescence consists of four one-take episodes, which is an insane achievement in itself, but it also marks the debut of an incredible young actor. 15-year-old English actor, Owen Cooper, had his breakthrough role in director Philip Barantini’s Adolescence, portraying the role of Jamie Miller. Exploring the shocking reasons and chilling consequences when a young teenager murders another, Adolescence dives into each tiny detail of a family’s biggest nightmare.

All the actors attached to this project certainly did an outstanding job, making Adolescence the powerful series that it is, but Cooper’s performance stands out particularly. Numerous eerie moments make it impossible to believe that the actor is still only a teenager, but these points in the series bring back memories of one of the biggest Hollywood stars, whose acting career started on a very similar foundation. Marvel’s sweetest superhero, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, started his career through his outstanding performance in The Impossible. The similarities are almost chilling, but it makes it all the more obvious that Adolescence’s Owen Cooper is the next Tom Holland, and here is why.

Owen Cooper’s Amazing Acting Debut in ‘Adolescence’

It seems impossible to even capture the vastness of Owen Cooper’s talents, as his performance delivered everything and more. When children enter the industry and begin their acting career, there are moments when the success that is waiting for them in the future becomes clear. Owen Cooper delivered multiple moments like this in the Netflix hit series Adolescence. The young star embodies emotions that even an experienced actor would find difficult to convey. Cooper somehow succeeds in blending insecurity, pain, horror, fear, and anger without ever overdoing one of them.

Adolescence is filled with shocking scenes and chilling interactions that predominantly center around Cooper’s performance as Jamie Miller. It’s eerie how the series draws viewers in and manages to have them feel for Jamie, even like and understand him, all the way to being completely distraught by the nuances of misogyny and twisted pain that come to the surface.

One particular moment in Episode 3 of Adolescence perfectly showcased Cooper’s talent. Cooper’s Jamie had a conversation with his psychologist, played by Erin Doherty, but when the actor started to feel tired after a long day of shooting, he couldn’t help but yawn. Doherty successfully picked up on it and asked whether she was boring him, which made Cooper smirk and immediately bounce off of it. The improvisation in this amazing Netflix series is out of this world, and considering that each episode of Adolescence was made in one take, the pressure to deliver perfection was always on. However, Cooper effortlessly channeled unexpected moments and managed to fit them into the situation and his character.

Tom Holland Is Owen Cooper’s Role Model

There are many similarities between Owen Cooper and Tom Holland. Both had their acting debut around the ages of 15 and 16, and their breakthrough roles stand out as the gold standard of child acting. It’s fascinating how young actors can embody such heavy roles and deliver various emotions with incredible depth. Both of these stars have proven at a young age that they have the skills, the dedication, and, above all, the love for acting.

Owen Cooper’s performance is not just a reminder of Tom Holland’s heartbreaking delivery of his role as Thomas in The Impossible, but there is more meaning to it, as the Adolescence actor had something to say about the comparisons that were drawn. Cooper revealed in a recent interview with i-D that he did see Holland in the disaster movie The Impossible, and it completely changed his perspective on acting as a career. He felt inspired to aim for similar success, and it was his dream to become equally well-known.

The Adolescence star seemingly sticks to following his dreams, because just days after his Netflix hit with a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes was released, Cooper revealed that he already has another huge project lined up. Owen Cooper is set to join Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in the upcoming book-to-movie adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, which Emerald Fennel, known for the comedy thriller Saltburn, will direct. While Robbie will portray Catherine Earnshaw and Elordi will appear as Heathcliff, Cooper was cast as the young Heathcliff. Wuthering Heights will be released on February 13, 2026, which is soon enough to already feel excited and far enough away to binge-watch Adolescence a few more times. You know you want to. Adolescence is available to stream on Netflix.