CORONATION Street fans have been left gobsmacked after discovering a surprising link between cobbles legend Tina O’Brien and Adolescence star Owen Cooper.
The soap fave, who’s played Sarah Platt for decades, has a little-known connection to the rising TV heartthrob.
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Tina, who’s been in the biz since she was 10, runs a drama school helping local talent break into TV and filmCredit: Rex
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Owen Cooper was one of her students and later wowed viewers playing the role of Jamie Miller in AdolescenceCredit: Courtesy of Netflix.
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Tina founded The Drama MOB in 2013 after struggling to find an appropriate acting class for her then three year old daughter ScarlettCredit: Instagram
New Netflix drama Adolescence focuses on the aftermath of a tragic murder as a 13-year-old boy is accused of brutally killing an older female classmate.
His family, the school, and a therapist are completely in shock as the detective in charge of the case is looking into what really happened.
The miniseries has been a smash-hit and is currently the number one programme on the global platform, as of the time of writing.
Owen Cooper plays the lead role of 13-year-old Jamie Miller in Adolescence, which also stars Ashley Walters and Stephen Graham.
The rising star had never acted on-screen before Adolescence, however, he did attend acting classes run by a Corrie legend.
Tina O’Brien, best known as Sarah Platt, revealed that Owen honed his skills at The Drama MOB, the Manchester-based acting school she co-founded in 2013.
Tina, who’s been in the biz since she was 10, runs the school alongside best mate Esther Morgan, helping local talent break into TV and film.
After a fellow actor gave The Drama MOB a shout-out for its role in Owen’s journey, Tina shared the praise, blasting the industry’s London-centric bias.
The school has since posted its own tribute to Owen, calling his Adolescence performance “incredible” and celebrating the work of their teaching team.
They posted a message saying: “Where do we even begin?! We are beyond proud of Owen for absolutely smashing this role and tackling such a challenging and sensitive subject.
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“Being able to secure such a major role is incredible in itself, but Owen has completely blown everyone away – and the reviews say it all!”
And Tina posted on her Instagram story: “Elitist mentality that anything in the North isn’t worth mentioning. Thank you for highlighting this @ricomorris2020.
“We work incredibly hard at the @thedramamob and we are very proud of the work we do and will continue to do.”
Despite only discovering acting a few years ago, Owen has taken Hollywood by storm – proof that Northern talent is not to be underestimated.
Now 15, Owen has now landed a huge new role with an A-list actor and Oscar winner.
He will star in Emerald Fennel’s remake of Wuthering Heights, which is based on the 1847 novel by Emily Brontë.
As well as Owen, the movie stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi and is scheduled to be theatrically released on February 13, 2026.
Call The Midwife and Barbie star Emerald, 39, is an Oscar-winning filmmaker who famously worked on Promising Young Woman and Saltburn.
When Owen stars in the Wuthering Heights remake, he will be playing young Heathcliff, with the older version of Heathcliff played by Jacob Elordi.
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Owen is one of the talents who has benefited from attending classes at the drama schoolCredit: instagram/tinaob83
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Corrie legend Tina O’Brien has hit out at the industry’s “elitist mentality” after her drama school’s role in shaping a Netflix star’s career was overlookedCredit: instagram/tinaob83
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Owen, now 15, will star as young Heathcliff in the new Wuthering Heights remakeCredit: AP
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Alongside an A-List actor Jacob Elordi playing HeathcliffCredit: Getty
