Wizard Week: The Twins Talk Acting

The Guardian recently featured an interview with James and Oliver Phelps who play Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter movies.

SPOILER ALERT:  If you haven't read the books, stop reading!

While the Weasley twins are usually used as comic relief, Deathly Hallows puts them in some serious situations.  In Part 1, George lost his ear in a Death Eater attack.  And in Part 2, Fred will die. Oliver Phelps, who plays George, said, "It was horrible," when asked what it was like pretending his brother was dead.  "I was trying to get myself into this emotional state. You had to put yourself in character, and seeing your brother lying there, pale, was quite hard. I think we did about four takes."

Luckily his brother isn't really dead!  Although I'm sure life would be nicer at times if Oliver didn't have a twin brother.  Sometimes it's hard to be seen as an individual.  They are both trying to further their acting careers, but they don't always want to do things as a duo.  "We want to continue acting but not necessarily together," says James. "We've had a few meetings with casting agents in the States but there is a perception that we come as two. I said I want to do individual stuff and one guy just said 'Oh no, I don't see that happening'. I shut off as soon as he said that, I wasn't interested."

I feel a little guilty that I always refer to them as "the twins" all the time.  I don't even know which one is which.  But even though they resent being seen as a combined unit, they don't regret being cast as the mischievous duo in Harry Potter.  James says, "I'm very aware that I'm lucky to call it my job."

Fred and George Weasley.
Promotional image for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.