British actors and identical twin brothers
James and Oliver Phelps |
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| Born | James Andrew Eric Phelps
Oliver Martyn John Phelps
(1986-02-25) 25 February 1986 (age 38)
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| Occupations | |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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James Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps (born 25 February 1986) are English actors, podcasters and identical twin brothers. They are known for playing Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series from 2001 to 2011 and have continued to work together as a duo on other projects.
Early life
James and Oliver Phelps were born in the Sutton Coldfield area of Birmingham,[1] England on 25 February 1986. They are the only children of Susan (née Spare) and Martyn Phelps. Oliver is the older of the two by 13 minutes. Growing up, the twins attended Little Sutton Primary School and the Arthur Terry Secondary School. During the filming of the Harry Potter series, the twins were tutored on set.[2]
Career
In 2000, despite having no previous acting experience, the twins skipped school to attend an open audition in Leeds. After about six auditions, the twins were cast as Fred and George Weasley in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.[2] At the first table reading after being cast, James was given the role of Fred and Oliver was given the role of George. They played the characters in all eight films.[3]
Outside of acting, James Phelps worked as a runner on the set of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and on The Da Vinci Code.[4]
In 2009, the twins appeared as brothers in the fifth episode of the third season of the TV series Kingdom.[5] In 2012, they starred in A Mind's Eye, a short documentary film based on the philosophical ideas of Plato,[6][7] and they directed Journey along the Thames for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics [citation needed].
The twins have been involved in the Harry Potter Exhibition. They were present during its 2009 opening in Chicago and later toured various cities and countries to promote it.[2]
In January 2014, the twins attended the Harry Potter Celebration in Orlando, Florida, along with Evanna Lynch, Matthew Lewis, and Devon Murray. They also made a LiveCast where they answered fans' questions and talked about the expansion at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.[8]
In 2024 the twins hosted Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, a six-part competition show based on the Harry Potter franchise, for Food Network.[9]
Podcast
The twins collaborated on a podcast available on YouTube[10] and various streaming services, including Spotify[11] and iTunes.[12] The first season, which premiered in 2017, featured James and Oliver discussing their previous travels.
The second season of the podcast was released in 2020 during quarantine, and the twins interviewed guests and spoke about their personal lives.
In 2021, they released a third season, titled "Normal Not Normal”, on which they collaborated with Stabl production; this season is more structured and professionally edited compared to the previous season. In this season they discuss what normal really is and if it even exists. They have interviewed celebrities including Sasha Banks, Tom Hopper, Mara Wilson, as well as their former co-stars, such as Katie Leung, Evanna Lynch, and Alfie Enoch.
Charity work and personal lives
In January 2003, the twins planted trees at the National Forest in Leicestershire. The trees were birch and ash -- the same types of wood that helped make the broomsticks used in the Harry Potter films.[13]
The twins are supporters of Teenage Cancer Trust,[14] the "Celebrity World Cup Soccer Six",[15] the Virgin Money Giving drive,[16][17] and Cancer Research UK in Australia.[18]
Oliver married Katy Humpage in 2015, and they have two daughters.[19] James married Annika Ostle in 2016.[20]
Filmography
- This filmography is of the twins as a duo. See James Phelps and Oliver Phelps for other productions in which they have appeared.
Film and television
Video games
See also
References
External links
