Adolescence star Stephen Graham has shared the incredible reason why Owen Cooper was picked for the drama’s lead role, over more than 500 other auditionees. Owen, 15, stars as teenager Jamie Miller, who is arrested for murdering a female schoolmate.
By his side along the way are his on-screen parents, dad Eddie Miller (played by Stephen), and his mum Manda Miller, (played by Christine Tremarco), who do what they can to support him.
Shot two years ago in one-take per episode, over 500 young boys auditioned for the lead role, which was then narrowed down to five, before Owen was chosen. Stephen said he saw a “unique ability” in the teenage actor, who he would love to work with again.
What makes Owen’s signing even more special is that he had no acting experience prior to playing Jamie.
Opening up about the casting process and what he believed was special about Owen, Stephen shared on Heart Radio’s Breakfast Show on Tuesday: “He had no experience at all, he was 13 when we shot it, he’s now 15.
“Our philosophy and ethos that we go by personally is, within the respect of our production companies, we try to create opportunities both in front of and behind the cameras, you know, for working class kids, or people who wouldn’t normally have those opportunities.”
Adolescence star Owen Cooper had no acting experience prior to his role as Jamie
He added: “So, that’s what we’re about really and our wonderful casting director, she saw over 500 young lads and look, no disrespect but, we didn’t want anyone who had a lot of experience.
“We wanted someone fresh and not used to the whole kind of way that we work and stuff like that.” Stephen said while those who don’t get the part are usually then forgotten about, he and the team offered them each a role.
“Because they all had such wonderful talent,” he added. “But, going back to the one and only Owen, he just stood out, he had this unique ability, very similar to what I saw in Jodie Comer.”
Killing Eve actress Jodie has often praised Stephen for helping to kickstart her successful career.
Addressing her kind words on Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston’s show, he added: “I had a word with my agent and said ‘You need to sign this girl, she is phenomenal’, and they hit it off and the rest is history.”