Attention, Potterheads! Actors James and Oliver Phelps, famous for playing the mischievous twins Fred and George from the Harry Potter world, were in Abu Dhabi for the Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) this weekend.
When we caught up with them for a quick chat, we asked what any Potterhead would ask these twin pranksters: Did they ever pull any prank on the other cast members in real life?
“We did, once or twice, but I think it happens on every film set,” said Oliver. “There’s always someone making a prank to relieve any boredom while they’re setting stuff up but as soon as we got on the set, it was always straight to serious work.”
James then recalled one of his fondest memories from the sets of Harry Potter. “There was a lot of time to kill in between filming,” he recollected. “So we ended up doing silly things like playing cricket on Privet Drive. We actually set up the cricket pitch on the set, and one cast member hit the ball through a window of a house. And just like in real life, everyone just ran because they didn’t want to be seen.”
These little things they did to entertain themselves when they weren’t filming were very memorable, James added, “It was a lot of camaraderie because we were all friends on set.”
Despite being so identical, most cast members could tell James and Oliver apart. Then there’s Tom Felton, the actor who played Draco Malfoy. “He (Tom) still can’t tell us apart,” Oliver said. “And we see him probably just as much as anybody else.”
The two, however, formed strong relationships with all the cast members over the years. “That’s the great thing, looking back at those times,” Oliver added.
Oliver and James are enjoying Comic Con and Abu Dhabi as much as anybody else. The latter, who marks his maiden visit to the capital city on this trip, loves Abu Dhabi’s “chilled pace” of doing things. “I am having a great time,” he said. “Here at Comic Con, we’ve met so many people from not only UAE but also from Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, all of who have come to the convention. There are lots of families as well and it seems like they’re going to make good memories too.”
When asked about their favourite things to do in the UAE, Oliver was quick to answer: “Golfing in the sunshine, or having some fantastic coffee,” with James adding, “It is the food for me. I know here, there is food from all over the world, but the local delicacies are just fantastic.”