Four Times the Phelps Twins Were the Weasley Twins in Real Life
James and Oliver Phelps will always be Fred and George Weasley in my mind. It’s clear that the two actors look the part in the Harry Potter movies, what with their trademark red hair! Additionally, I’ve always thought that the Phelps twins embodied the mischievous energy of the Weasley twins in their performance.
During this Q&A from Oliver’s appearance in Utah, Oliver, who plays George Weasley, didn’t disappoint in telling stories of his favorite memories he collected while filming the Harry Potter movies. MuggleNet recapped some of our favorite responses from this appearance in the video below! Listening to Oliver’s answers, it struck me how similar the brothers can be to their on-screen characters at times! Here’s a list of four times the Phelps twins were the Weasley twins in real life.
1. They never take things too seriously.
When a fan asked how alike he was to George, Oliver’s response was so silly that I had to remind myself he’s only an actor and not George Weasley in real life! “We’re similar to a point,” said Oliver, “although I have a better ear and a better sense of hearing than him.” Of course, he’s referring to when George gets his ear cursed off by Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It reminds me of George’s comment, “Saintlike. You see… I’m holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?” (DH 74). Honestly, the two can make a joke out of anything.
Oliver also said that if he could give George a piece of advice, he’d say “to not get into a Ford Anglia with an owl in your lap. Because owls poop.”
2. They’re at their best when they’re matching.
Oliver shared that he and his brother James, who plays Fred Weasley, were the only set of twins that didn’t wear matching outfits for their Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone audition. For the second round of auditions, they had to make a quick stop at a department store for matching T-shirts. The rest is history since the twins obviously landed the part! Oliver says he still has his shirt somewhere.
3. They love Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.
It is clear from the Q&A that Oliver’s happy memories from filming the Harry Potter movies would help produce a killer Patronus Charm. When asked what his favorite part of playing George was, Oliver had nothing but good things to say about seeing the joke shop come to life in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. “There are not many times that your character has a whole set built for them,” said Oliver. “We were able to get really involved in that.” It seems like seeing Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes come to life was a dream come true for both the Weasley twins and the Phelps twins.
4. They both love the perks of being twins.
I was surprised to hear Oliver say that he and James never switched their roles on set to see if they could get away with it. Of course, Fred and George loved to pull this switcheroo purely for the enjoyment of getting a rise out of their mother.
When one fan asked him what the best and worst parts of working with his brother were, Oliver gave another answer that sounded like it could have come from George Weasley. “The best thing about working with your brother is, if you’re late, you can blame someone else. The worst thing about working with your brother is that if he’s late, he can blame someone else.”
What’s your favorite Fred and George moment from the Harry Potter films?
