The rise of Adolescence has turned 15-year-old Owen Cooper into an overnight sensation, with both fans and critics praising his raw talent.

As discussions continue about Cooper’s acting prowess—especially since Adolescence marks his very first role, following just two years of weekly acting classes in a small English town—Netflix has now released footage from his original audition.

In the clip, Cooper performs the pivotal police station scene, where Jamie is held after his arrest.

🔴 Watch Owen Cooper’s Audition Video

In another behind-the-scenes clip shared by Netflix, Cooper watches his audition tape alongside his co-star Erin Doherty, who plays clinical psychologist Briony Ariston. The first thing Doherty notices? His much longer hair. The teen immediately buries his face in his hands, visibly embarrassed.

“How does it feel watching yourself, by the way?” she teases before exclaiming, “Oh my God, look at you!”

“Why is your hair doing that?” she laughs.

“That’s just… how my head used to look,” Cooper replies, grinning.

“Well, you’re way cooler now,” Doherty reassures him.

At one point, the young actor blurts out, “Oh no, I didn’t even know they were filming me.”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about the hair,” Doherty jokes.

“I’m not worried about the hair,” Cooper insists.

🎬 Watch the 15-Year-Old’s Reaction to His Own Audition

Doherty later marvels at how polished the audition tape is, saying, “They could’ve just used this as an actual scene in the show!”

“This was so good. This is literally… this is Jamie.”

Even as Cooper cringes and admits he “hates” watching himself, Doherty assures him it’s natural to feel that way.

“But,” she adds, “your audition was amazing.”