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'He just had something' - says star's drama school

Kaya Black & Ewan Gawne
BBC News, Manchester
PA Media A young white boy, with short black hair, staring into the camera smiling with his mouth closed. He is wearing a white t shirt with a black skirt unbuttoned over the top of it. He is stood in front of a blue background which has Netflix's logo printed onto it. PA Media
Netflix's Adolescence star Owen Cooper was first introduced to acting at a grassroots drama school in Manchester

Teachers at the drama school where Adolescence star Owen Cooper learnt his trade said their "eyes were just drawn to him" when he first attended.

The 15-year-old from Warrington's rise to fame in the much-discussed hit TV show came after years spent at weekly acting classes run by Drama MOB in Didsbury, Manchester.

The school's Esther Morgan said he had a supportive but "not pushy" family, and had "something about him that made you just wanted to watch him".

She said teachers had been "frustrated" to see a lack of recognition of the training Cooper received prior to the show.

Netflix Owen Cooper stares forward in a police station while starring in AdolescenceNetflix
The young actor from Warrington won plaudits after his TV debut

Her comments come after some reviews of the show implied the acting newcomer had no training before his debut.

"It has frustrated us a bit," Ms Morgan said.

She co-founded the drama school, which runs classes in Gatley, Didsbury and Prestwich, and has its own casting agency.

The Adolescence production team came and asked to see tapes of their "strongest northern boys", she said.

"They kept coming back for Owen" until the teenager was given the role, she added.

Adolescence won plaudits for the one-shot style of film-making, and Ms Morgan said Cooper's acting in these conditions was testament to the focus on improvisation at the drama school.

"It felt amazing but I didn't realise it would be as good as it was, I didn't expect it to be talked about so much," she added.

Drama MOB Two white women, stood next to one another smiling into the camera. They are both wearing black T shirts which say 'DM, The Drama MOB' on it in white writing. The woman on the left has long, straight blonde hair. The woman on the right has the same length brown, curly hair. Drama MOB
Tina O'Brien (left) and Esther Morgan (right) co-founded the Drama MOB in 2013.

Drama MOB co-founder and Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien said Cooper's success had shown children from Manchester that "not everything has to be taken away to London."

"We have so much talent in the North," said she said, adding she hoped the show being cast and filmed in the region would encourage more film production companies to follow suit.

Students from Drama MOB in Didsbury talk about Adolescence star

Iyana-Mae, 12, a student at the drama school, told BBC Radio Manchester that seeing Owen's success "makes me feel like I can do it too".

She said that since coming to the classes "I've come out of my comfort zone and now I'm more outgoing".

Jesse, eight, said he has learnt that "acting is a way you can experience yourself and let fun out".

Seeing other people from the class become actors "makes me feel really, really happy and really inspired," he said.

The school also offers a scholarship scheme and fully-funded classes to people from disadvantaged backgrounds

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