Owen Cooper’s intense prep for Adolescence will give you chills: Here’s how he got into character

Adolescence star Owen Cooper has become the breakout sensation of the year – and it’s not just his acting that’s getting everyone talking. The 15-year-old’s prep for his role as Jamie Miller was downright chilling, and it’s no surprise his performance has left fans speechless.

There was some serious preparation

In one of the most heart-pounding moments from the show, police raid Owen’s character Jamie’s home, with guns pointed at him. To really get himself into the mindset of a terrified boy, Owen didn’t hold back. Before filming, he went up to the actor playing the police officer and told him to really scare him. “I’d always come up to him beforehand and say, ‘Proper, proper scare me,’” Owen explained. That’s right—he made sure the fear was real, and it definitely paid off when the cameras rolled.

But Owen Cooper didn’t stop there. In a tense moment off-camera, co-star Stephen Graham, who plays his father Eddie in Adolescence, also pushed him to his limits. Before a key scene in the police cell, Graham scruffed Owen up and unleashed a brutal line: “You’re never going to see your mum again, you’re never going to see your dad again.” This harsh moment jolted Owen into a heightened emotional state that made his performance even more powerful.

Stephen Graham and Ashley Walters discuss Owen Cooper’s performance.#owencooper #Adolescence #AdolescenceNetflix pic.twitter.com/FvwN1aT3ij

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It wasn’t just his co-stars pushing him to new emotional heights, though. The on-screen transformations of Owen Cooper in Adolescence were so raw that they left his fellow cast members in awe. Erin Doherty, who plays a key role in the series, revealed that Owen’s switch from “childlike innocence to anger” was so authentic it was “genuinely scary” to watch.

Honestly, Owen’s dedication to nailing this role is incredible, it’s no wonder critics are hailing him as one of the best new talents of the year.

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

Featured image via Netflix/ITV