| James and Oliver Phelps | |
| Birth Name: | James Andrew Eric Phelps Oliver Martyn John Phelps |
| Birth Date: | 25 February 1986 |
| Birth Place: | Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England |
| Occupation: | Actors |
| Yearsactive: | 2001–present |
James Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps (born 25 February 1986) are English actors 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. The twins also run a podcast together titled Normal Not Normal.
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]
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.[3] 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.[4]
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.[5]
In 2009, the twins appeared as brothers in the fifth episode of the third season of the TV series Kingdom.[6] In 2012, they starred in A Mind's Eye, a short documentary film based on the philosophical ideas of Plato,[7] [8] and they directed Journey along the Thames for the opening ceremony of London 2012.
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.[9]
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.[10]
The twins collaborated on a podcast available on YouTube[11] and various streaming services, including Spotify[12] and iTunes.[13] 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.
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.[14]
While filming the Harry Potter movies, the twins (along with Bonnie Wright, who played their on-screen sister, Ginny Weasley) decided to play a prank on the construction workers, who were working next to the studio they were filming at. They used their walkie-talkies to send all the workers at the construction site home, landing them in trouble with the workers' boss. “The gaffer...probably didn’t realise he was dealing with children with his language,” Oliver said.[15]
The twins are supporters of Teenage Cancer Trust,[16] the "Celebrity World Cup Soccer Six",[17] the Virgin Money Giving drive,[18] [19] and Cancer Research UK in Australia.[20]
Oliver married Katy Humpage in 2015 and they have two daughters.[21] James married Annika Ostle in 2016.[22]
This filmography is of the twins as a duo. See James Phelps and Oliver Phelps for other productions in which they have appeared.
| Year | Title | James's role | Oliver's role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Fred Weasley | George Weasley | ||
| 2002 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | ||||
| 2004 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | ||||
| 2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | ||||
| 2007 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | ||||
| 2009 | Kingdom | Callum Anderson | Finlay Anderson | Episode #3.5 | |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Fred Weasley | George Weasley | Assistant Director (James) | ||
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | Short film Robocoaster at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade | |||
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | ||||
| 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | ||||
| 2014 | Own Worst Enemy | Constable Berrow | Constable Stroyde | ||
| Hogwarts Express | Fred Weasley | George Weasley | Short film Shuttle service between destinations at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley | ||
| 2015 | King of the Nerds | Himself | Himself | Guest Appearance(s) episode 7 | |
| Danny and the Human Zoo | Mr Brian Carter | Mr Barry Carter | TV film | ||
| 2019 | 7 days The Story of "Blind Dave" Heeley | Captain Williams | Dr. Mathews | Short Film | |
| 2021 | Last Night in Soho | Cloakroom attendant | Cloakroom attendant | ||
| 2022– | Fantastic Friends | Himself | Himself | Travel series |
| Year | Title | James's role | Oliver's role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Fred Weasley (voice) | George Weasley (voice) | Video game |
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | |||