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In the three weeks since \u201cAdolescence\u201d arrived on Netflix, the drama about a 13-year-old boy accused of killing a schoolgirl after seeing misogynistic content online has soared in popularity<\/a>. It has also made a star out of Owen Cooper for his portrayal of the teenager, Jamie Miller.<\/p>\n Even so, Cooper, 15, had to return to high school in northern England on Monday.<\/p>\n In a video interview this week, Cooper said that his first day back was \u201ca bit mad,\u201d with lots of attention from younger children. Tuesday was better, he said, with only \u201ca bit of bother.\u201d<\/p>\n As Cooper discussed the complexity of his newfound fame, Stephen Graham, the actor who plays Owen\u2019s father and was also taking part in the interview, sat up, alert. \u201cWhat kind of \u2018bother\u2019?\u201d Graham said, sounding like a concerned parent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Cooper explained that it wasn\u2019t anything serious, just children coming up to him, shouting his name, then rushing off. To which Graham replied with relief and a smile, \u201cAh, just some silly bollocks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Critics have highlighted that sort of bond between the two actors\u2019 characters as one of the reasons for the show\u2019s success, although it has also drawn praise for stirring debate about whether children\u2019s access to social media<\/a> should be restricted or smartphones banned from schools.<\/p>\n In the interview, Cooper and Graham discussed that political impact, Cooper\u2019s star turn and the possibility of an \u201cAdolescence\u201d sequel \u2014 although Cooper is already involved in other projects, including having just wrapped up filming for Emerald Fennell\u2019s new version of \u201cWuthering Heights,\u201d in which he plays the part of the young Heathcliff.<\/p>\n Here are edited excerpts from that conversation.<\/p>\n Owen, your character is bullied via Instagram, and it\u2019s implied he spends time watching misogynistic content on his smartphone. As you\u2019re 15, how is your own smartphone use?<\/strong><\/p>\n COOPER<\/strong> I\u2019ve never gone through that experience with my phone or with my mates, but Instagram has, I think, a 16 [age limit<\/a> for immediately publicly viewable profiles] now. I\u2019m on Instagram and I\u2019m not 16, but I think the age restrictions should be followed. I don\u2019t think 10- and 11-year-olds should be on Instagram and TikTok and Snapchat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n How have you both felt about the political debate the show\u2019s stirred?<\/strong><\/p>\n GRAHAM<\/strong> Look, everything that\u2019s happened from it is fantastic. It\u2019s gathered its own momentum. But that\u2019s not the reason I made it. A young girl was stabbed to death<\/a> in Liverpool. That\u2019s where the show began in my head. Then a young trans girl was lured into a park and she was stabbed to death<\/a>.<\/p>\n It really hurt my heart as a father, and as a human being. And I thought, \u201cMaybe this is something we could shine a light upon.\u201d That\u2019s the reason I wanted to be an actor in the first place: to make dramas that made me think.<\/p>\n