When Adolescence premiered on Netflix on March 13, 2025, it didn’t just capture attention—it seized it, racking up 66.3 million views in its first two weeks and cementing its place as the UK’s most-watched streaming debut ever with 6.45 million premiere viewers. The four-part British crime thriller, co-created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, stunned audiences with its one-shot filming style and a story that dives deep into youth violence and online radicalization. At its core is 15-year-old Owen Cooper, a complete newcomer whose chilling portrayal of Jamie Miller—a 13-year-old accused of murdering his classmate—has critics and fans alike calling him a generational talent. Now, Netflix has released Cooper’s audition video, and it’s wowing fans all over again, offering a raw glimpse into the moment a star was born. Here’s why this tape has everyone buzzing—and how it proves Adolescence found lightning in a bottle.
Owen Cooper as Jamie in Adolescence Netflix
Adolescence fans have been left wowed after Netflix released more candid footage from teen actor Owen Cooper’s auditions.
Before being cast as Jamie Miller in the record-breaking British drama, Owen famously had no professional acting experience, and had only been pursuing acting lessons as a “hobby” on a weekend.
However, thanks to the footage posted on Netflix’s social media accounts earlier this week – which have already accrued millions of views across the streaming giant’s various platforms – it was immediately apparent how the now-15-year-old wound up landing the role.
“This kid is so good, I cannot believe he had no experience prior to this role,” one impressed viewer wrote on TikTok, while another agreed: “And just like that, a new star is born.”
The Breakout Star of Adolescence
Adolescence is a harrowing tale of a family torn apart when Jamie Miller is arrested for stabbing his classmate, Katie Leonard. Shot in real-time across four single-take episodes, the series follows Jamie’s parents, Eddie (Stephen Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco), as they grapple with the unthinkable. Cooper, who had never acted professionally before, delivers a performance that’s both tender and terrifying—shifting from a scared boy to a radicalized teen with a flick of a switch. His work earned praise from co-stars like Graham, who compared him to Robert De Niro, and Erin Doherty, who called him “unreal” after their intense Episode 3 two-hander.
The show’s success is undeniable: it topped Netflix charts in over 75 countries, scored a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and sparked debates from X to Parliament about knife crime and incel culture. But it’s Cooper’s raw talent that’s become the beating heart of its legacy—and his audition video, released on March 24, 2025, shows exactly why.
The Audition That Started It All
Netflix dropped the bombshell on X with a simple caption: “Get a peek at Owen Cooper’s audition tape for the role of Jamie in Adolescence.” The video cuts between clips of Cooper’s original self-tape and scenes from the final series, revealing a haunting consistency. In one segment, he’s Jamie in custody, advised by a lawyer—nervous, wide-eyed, yet eerily composed. In another, from Episode 3, he faces Doherty’s psychologist Briony Ariston, his voice trembling as he unravels Jamie’s warped logic: “I’m ugly… she called me an incel.” The switches—innocence to anger, vulnerability to menace—are seamless, even in the grainy audition footage.
Fans lost it. “This boy is gonna be a big star,” one X user posted. Another wrote, “He’s incredible—how is this his first role?” The tape, paired with a heartwarming clip of Cooper reacting to it alongside Doherty (who teases his old haircut), shows a kid who didn’t just act—he became Jamie. Director Philip Barantini told Variety, “He blew me away… Actors train for years and can’t master what Owen did: being in the moment, listening, being truthful.” Over 500 boys auditioned; Cooper, a football-loving teen from Warrington with no drama school polish, won the part—and the world.
“Great self tape but look what happened after they gave him direction… awesome acting,” another wrote.
The praise also continued on X:
One person who was less enthusiastic about the footage was Owen himself.
A Natural Talent Unleashed
What’s staggering is Cooper’s backstory—or lack thereof. “I’d done literally nothing,” he told Variety, admitting he only started acting a couple of years ago after dreaming of being a footballer. Raised in a working-class family—mom a carer, dad in IT, brothers electricians—he stumbled into a local drama club, The Drama MOB, before landing Adolescence. Graham, who co-wrote and stars as Eddie, insisted on a fresh face. “We didn’t want a theatre school kid,” he told ITV News. “Owen’s a normal lad from a council estate—and now he’s working with Margot Robbie.”
The audition wasn’t even for Jamie—Cooper initially taped for a smaller role as Ryan, Jamie’s friend. “I’d just woken up in the car before we got to Manchester,” he told The Mirror. “I thought, ‘This is mad!’” But when he walked in, half-asleep and unpolished, he stunned the team. “I turned to Phil and Jack and said, ‘That’s him,’” Graham recalled to Tudum. Thorne added, “He wasn’t acting—he was working out his own way through it. Once he harnessed that monster inside Jamie, there was no stopping him.”
Fans and Critics Go Wild
The video’s release on March 24 sent X into a frenzy. “What a star. He has no idea how good he is,” one fan wrote. “The visceral intensity… haunting,” another gushed, praising his Episode 3 flips between “innocent schoolboy and male anger.” On Instagram, fans begged for more: “OMG WE WANT MORE JAMIE,” one demanded, while another hailed, “Exceptional talent—he should be proud.” Digital Spy noted the tape’s partial reveal—showing Jamie’s custody quiz—only fueled calls for the full version.
Critics echoed the hype. The Daily Mail’s Christopher Stevens gave the series five stars, singling out Cooper’s “exceptional” turn. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos called it “an undeniable acting debut that tells the world he has arrived.” Even UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who watched with his teens, praised its impact, tying it to real-world fears about “loners and misfits” online.
The One-Shot Challenge
The audition’s wow factor doubles when you consider Adolescence’s format. Each episode—60 minutes, no cuts—demanded perfection. Cooper’s first day was Episode 3, a 50-minute psychological duel filmed after two weeks of rehearsal with Doherty. “It was the second take, I was tired, and I yawned,” he told The One Show. Doherty’s unscripted “Am I boring you?” made the cut, adding a chilling layer. “I wasn’t expecting it—it took me back, but it was amazing,” he grinned. Barantini told Tudum every take left the crew “crying their eyes out”—proof of Cooper’s grip, even raw.
A Star’s Next Steps
The tape’s release isn’t just a victory lap—it’s a launchpad. Cooper’s already filming Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, playing young Heathcliff, and he’s set for BBC’s Film Club with Aimee Lou Wood. “It’s not one-shot anymore—I’m getting used to that,” he told Variety, praising Fennell’s “lovely” vibe. At 15, he’s juggling school, football, and a career that’s exploding—yet he stays humble. “I don’t watch it like a normal show,” he said. “I just watch because I’m in it.”
Why It Wows
The audition video wows because it’s unfiltered proof of Cooper’s gift. No training, no polish—just a kid from Warrington channeling a complex, broken soul. It’s the spark that lit Adolescence’s fire, a series that’s not just entertainment but a societal alarm—on knife crime (18,500 UK offenses in 2023), incel culture (nodding to Tate), and parental dread. Fans see a future Oscar; parents see a wake-up call. “As a dad, the last 15 minutes wrecked me,” one Redditor wrote. Another X post nailed it: “He’s talent at such a young age is unmatched.”
Streaming now on Netflix as of March 26, 2025, Adolescence—and Cooper’s tape—prove TV can horrify, heal, and herald a star. This isn’t just an audition; it’s the birth of a legend, and fans can’t stop watching.
