When Gyllenhaal finally stepped into the room, Cooper’s jaw dropped. The stunned teen could only repeat, “Oh my God,” as his idol approached with a smile and a gift bag in hand.
Inside was a small plush toy — a yellow “lucky duck” — that Gyllenhaal said had always been a charm of his own before big moments. “I thought you could use this tomorrow,” the actor told him.
Cooper, still visibly in shock, clutched the duck and laughed nervously. “This is insane. I don’t even know what to say,” he managed, before Gyllenhaal gave him a hug and told him how proud he should be of his work in Adolescence.
The two chatted about acting, nerves, and the thrill of being recognized at such a young age. “Just enjoy it,” Gyllenhaal encouraged. “You only get your first Emmy nomination once.”
Netflix’s video ended with Cooper grinning ear-to-ear, the duck in his hand, and fans flooding social media with messages calling the surprise “the sweetest moment of the Emmys weekend.”
When Jake Gyllenhaal, 44, walked in unannounced, Owen Cooper was left completely stunned. The 15-year-old Emmy nominee could only repeat “Oh my God” over and over before rushing to give the Presumed Innocent star a hug.
Then came the surprise: Gyllenhaal pulled out a small wrapped box. “I have a present for you,” he said warmly. “When I made a movie years ago and got nominated for an Academy Award, a friend of mine sent me something just like this before the show.”
Inside was a small ceramic duck. Gyllenhaal smiled as Cooper unwrapped it. “It’s a ‘lucky duck,’” he explained. “Something you can keep in your pocket, to give you a little bit of luck.”
The gift couldn’t have come at a more meaningful moment. On Sunday, Cooper will become the youngest actor ever nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He’s competing against his Adolescence costar Ashley Walters, as well as Bill Camp, Javier Bardem, Peter Sarsgaard, and Rob Delaney.
Cooper shook Gyllenhaal’s hand as he thanked him for the thoughtful gift, only for the actor to reveal one final touch — a personalized engraving on the bottom of the ceramic duck.
“Oh, wow,” Cooper said, visibly touched. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
The two then posed for a group photo with Cooper’s team and family before Gyllenhaal lightened the mood with a joke. “He’s been talking about me too much,” the Oscar-nominated star teased. “So I just figured I’d stop it — I’d just stop it and get it done.”
The surprise quickly went viral on social media, with fans praising Gyllenhaal for the heartfelt gesture and calling the moment “pure Emmy magic.” For Cooper, the keepsake — and the memory — may prove just as special as the nomination itself.
Just last month, Cooper told PEOPLE that the Emmy recognition still felt surreal. “It hasn’t even sunk in yet,” he admitted of being included in the prestigious category — and making history as the youngest nominee ever. “It’s just crazy, really.”
Reflecting on his breakout turn in the hit Netflix series Adolescence, which also starred Stephen Graham, Cooper called the experience life-changing. “It’s my first role — it’ll be the best role of my life,” he said. “It was the best summer of my life to film, and I just can’t wait to be there on the night of the Emmys. I can’t wait.”
With Gyllenhaal’s heartfelt surprise now added to his journey, Cooper heads into Emmy night not only with history on his side — but also with a “lucky duck” in his pocket.
