Adolescence director reveals traumatic moment Owen Cooper ‘lost it’ and had to be pulled aside

Adolescence director Philip Barantini has detailed the intense moment Owen Cooper “lost it” and “got upset” over his character Jamie’s aggression to child psychologist Briony Ariston in episode three.

Owen Cooper has undeniably been the rising star of Netflix’s record-breaking show, and it’s even more impressive when you consider his lack of experience in the TV industry. The show’s cast has been singing his praises for weeks, and now director Philip Barantini has followed suit.

“Actors have trained for most of their lives to do what Owen just does instinctively. He’d done a couple of drama classes as a hobby, but he’d never really acted before. He didn’t have any preconceptions,” he said.

“We shot episode three first because of Stephen’s schedule, and I was nervous about it. I thought, I’ve got to work really hard with this kid if he doesn’t know his lines, and we only have two weeks. But he came in for the first day, and he was off-book completely.”

In the same interview with Screen Daily, Philip explained how that very same episode – Jamie’s very first time on screen – was an emotional moment for the fledgling actor.

Owen Cooper’s first Adolescence scene was emotional

Episode three takes place a few months after the first two installations, with Jamie sitting down with child psychologist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty) to talk about his family, his friends, and ultimately the crime he committed. In a particularly gripping moment, Jamie loses his composure and squares up to Briony, and it’s truly chilling to watch.

But getting that level of emotion was no easy feat, and Philip Barantini had to coach him through the moment.

Most Read

Gal Gadot is getting dragged for this Snow White line where she sounds like Scooby-Doo

This haunting hidden detail everyone missed in Adolescence changes the Netflix show

Watch the video of Lily Phillips’ latest viral challenge, and it’s definitely the most gross yet

He told the publication: “I was egging him to go further, really push it, and he lost it at one point and got upset because I don’t think he’s ever been that aggressive towards anybody in his life. I took him aside and we had a heart-to-heart. I said to him, ‘What you felt in there, it’s so real. But you know it’s not you. It’s just acting. You’re special because not all actors can do that.'”

It was during that same episode that Briony recalled feeling “genuinely” scared at how expertly Owen Cooper went from “childlike innocence to anger.”

“It’s every actor’s dream to get to a place where you forget yourself and you are in this strange reality that you’ve created,” she explained. “It sounds bizarre, but you genuinely do believe it in the moment. If the person opposite you is doing their job and you’re doing yours.”

For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes – like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

Featured image by: Netflix