You Won’t Believe Owen Cooper’s Reaction When He Finally Meets Jake Gyllenhaal

File this under: extremely wholesome awards-season content. Owen Cooper, the teenage star of Adolescence, met his hero Jake Gyllenhaal right before the Emmys — and then went on to make history. There was shock, some very sweet small talk, and yes, a rubber duck that somehow became a plot point.

How it happened

Cooper has not been shy about his Gyllenhaal fandom. He has called him his favorite actor and straight-up idol in multiple interviews — the Nightcrawler guy, one of the best working, all that. So when Cooper was in the middle of yet another interview talking about Jake, Gyllenhaal just casually walked in. The look on Cooper's face was pure disbelief.

The moment is up on Instagram via Netflix's @netflixtudum, and it is exactly as adorable as it sounds. Gyllenhaal greeted him, chatted for a bit, and handed over a small gift: a rubber duck. Yes, really.

"I made this movie and I got nominated for an Academy Award," Gyllenhaal told him. "And a friend of mine sent me this before — something just like this. It is just a lucky duck."

Cut to Emmy night: turns out the duck might actually be magic. Cooper won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series, becoming the youngest male actor to win that category. He is 15. No notes.

The quick version

• Before the Emmys, Owen Cooper is doing an interview, once again praising Jake Gyllenhaal.
• Gyllenhaal walks in and surprises him — the video is on Instagram via Netflix's @netflixtudum.
• They talk; Jake gives him a rubber 'lucky duck' tied to his own Oscar nomination superstition.
• Later, Cooper wins the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series, becoming the youngest male winner of that award.

Not a bad run for a 15-year-old. And if you're wondering: yes, he seemed absolutely delighted about all of it. Honestly, same.