Record-breaking Emmy winner Owen Cooper received a big surprise and a sweet gift from his hero, Jake Gyllenhaal, ahead of the award ceremony that saw him become the youngest male winner ever.
The Adolescence star, 15, won the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award at the ceremony in LA’s Peacock Theatre, after Gyllenhaal had given him a small “lucky duck” as a present.
Cooper had spoken about wanting to meet his hero, saying on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that “I want to get there [to the Emmys], do all the media and then just chew Jake Gyllenhaal’s ear off all night,” adding meeting the Night Crawler icon, 44, was his “number one priority.”
Netflix posted a clip of the pair’s meeting, where an unaware Cooper was in the middle of an interview in a hotel room when he was asked what he’d do if he met Gyllenhaal, saying he’d “just stare.”
That was put to the test instantly, as the camera then cut to the corridor, where the Road House actor was marching towards the room, saying, “Now, like, I’m nervous… Like, I feel nervous. I’m excited.”
The youngest ever Emmy nominee in the category was stopped in his tracks when his hero walked in, covering his mouth, turning away, and saying “Oh my God,” before hugging him.
For an actor who has delivered art well beyond his years, his reaction was a striking reminder that he is only 15 years old.
Gyllenhaal then revealed the purpose of his visit, telling Cooper, “I have a present for you… I made this movie and I got nominated for an Academy Award, and a friend of mine sent me this before [the show]—something just like this.”
DANIEL COLE/REUTERS
Brit Cooper unwrapped the lucky duck, as the Brokeback Mountain star added, it was “to keep in your pocket, to give you a little bit of luck,” before showing him an engraving underneath.
“Oh, wow,” Cooper replied, still reeling from the shock. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
A photocall ensued, and Gyllenhaal joked he’d felt he had to go and see the child star because he’d been “talking about me too much, so I just figured I’d stop it. I’d just stop it and get it done.”
To make history, Cooper had to beat off stiff competition in his category, including from his co-star and Top Boy lead, Ashley Walters. Meanwhile, their co-star Stephen Graham picked up the prize for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie, in what was a stellar night for the Netflix show that saw it scoop up four major trophies.
A harrowing tale, it focuses on the impact of internet culture on young people and the catastrophic consequences it can have for families and communities, employing a breathless, claustrophobic one-shot filming technique.
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