Jake Gyllenhaal’s Unexpected Gift to Owen Cooper Ahead of Emmys 2025 History
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Owen Cooper received a surprise gift from his hero Jake Gyllenhaal just before making history at the Emmy Awards. The 15-year-old star of Adolescence won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series on Sunday night—but earlier that evening, he was handed a small “lucky duck” by Gyllenhaal.
Cooper had previously told Jimmy Kimmel: “I want to go [to the Emmys], do all the interviews, and then spend the whole night chewing Jake Gyllenhaal’s ear off.” He added that meeting the 44-year-old Nightcrawler actor was his “number one priority.”
Netflix released a video of the encounter, showing Cooper mid-interview in a hotel room when Gyllenhaal suddenly walked in. At that exact moment, Cooper was answering the question of what he would do if he met the actor: “Just stare at him.”
Before entering the room, Gyllenhaal admitted to the camera: “Now I’m nervous… I feel nervous. I’m excited.”
The youngest male Emmy winner in history was stunned when he saw Gyllenhaal and immediately embraced him. Gyllenhaal then explained the reason for his visit: “I brought you a gift… When I was in a film and nominated for an Oscar, a friend sent me something like this before the ceremony.” When Cooper pulled out the lucky duck, Gyllenhaal said: “Keep it in your pocket so it brings you luck.”
Gyllenhaal joked: “I heard this kid talking about me a lot, so I figured I’d better show up and put an end to it.”
Adolescence also earned multiple other honors: Stephen Graham, the show’s executive producer, writer, and actor, won Best Actor in a Limited Series; Erin Doherty won Best Supporting Actress; Philip Barantini took home Best Directing for a Limited Series; and Graham, along with Jack Thorne, won Best Writing.
