Adolescence star, Owen Cooper, trained at Tina O’Brien’s drama school in Manchester before he shot to fame in the Netflix series and ended up bagging a Golden Globe
Adolescence star, Owen Cooper, trained at Tina O’Brien’s drama school in Manchester before he shot to fame in the Netflix series(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien is feeling a bit miffed by Adolescence star, Owen Cooper, according to reports. The Golden Globe winner, 16, has the world at his feet after wowing audiences on both sides of the pond with his incredible performance in the Netflix series
Last weekend, Owen was the toast of Tinseltown when he bagged the Best Supporting Actor gong for his portrayal of 13-year-old murder suspect, Jamie Miller, in the award-winning show. Taking to the stage in front of a whole host of A-listers, he thanked his family while explaining he “took a risk” when he signed up for his drama class. However, there was no mention of Tina, whose acting school, Drama Mob, he trained at.
Sources now claim the Corrie legend, 42, who set up the drama school with her friend, Esther, because she thought there was a lack of acting classes for her daughter, Scarlett, 16, feels ‘abandoned’ by Owen, who she did so much to help.
Tina O’Brien’s drama school in Manchester gave Owen Cooper his introduction into the acting industry(Image: Getty Images)
Owen has the world at his feet after shooting to fame in the Netflix series(Image: FilmMagic)
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Speaking to the Daily Mail, they said: “Tina was absolutely key in Owen’s success, but she was forgotten last week. It was pretty rotten to have left her out like that.
“While Tina is humble and so proud of her young starlets, she did start him on his road to stardom, and she is just so thrilled for him. But someone could have given her a bit of a big-up after the Globes.”
The lack of recognition for Drama Mob in Owen’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed by its teaching staff either. When Adolescence aired last year, some reviews suggested the young actor from Didsbury had no training before his debut, which “frustrated us a bit”, co-founder Esther said at the time.
She added: “We invest a lot of time in our young people, including Owen. We really got to know him and his parents and supported them through the process.”
Last week, Esther said she was aware of Owen’s standout talent when he joined Drama Mob, telling Lorraine Kelly on her show: “I knew he was good enough back then.” However, Tina, whose daughter Scarlett trained with Owen at her mum’s drama school, is yet to comment on his success.
There’s no denying Owen has earned every bit of his success as he reflected on his “incredible journey”. ‘Addressing the star-studded crowd at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles, which included the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, he said: “What an incredible journey me and my family have been through, we are forever grateful.
“What started off as something I thought I might be okay at, I took a risk and went to drama classes. I was the only boy there; it was embarrassing.
“But I got through it, and I’m still very much an apprentice, still learning every day from the people in front of me who inspired me. I wouldn’t be here without you guys. It’s mad, what is going on?”
The Mirror has contacted Tina’s rep for comment.
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