James and Oliver Phelps, best known as the fan-favorite mischievous Weasley twins from the “Harry Potter” movie franchise, set off on a different sort of adventure in on “Fantastic Friends.”
The CW series, premiering July 18 (9 p.m.), follows the brothers as they embark on expeditions with their famous pals — zip-lining in Saint Lucia with “Game of Thrones” star Maisie Williams, paragliding in Austria with Haley Joel Osment, rafting in Poland with “Outlander” star Sophie Skelton and visiting fellow “Potter” alum Evanna Lynch in Ireland.
“You never lose that first buzz you get from going on a trip,” Oliver, 37, (who played George Weasley) told The Post.
“James and I were very lucky when we were filming [‘Harry Potter’] going on publicity tours, getting to go to new countries. Although James and I look similar, we’ve got different tastes. I’m happy to stay in a nice swanky hotel. James is more adventurous. He’ll go cave diving. So, we thought we could show the same location, but from different viewpoints.
“An experience shared is an experience doubled.”
That’s why they invited their famous friends to tag along. They met Osment through a mutual interest in golf, they said, and became pals with Williams “as a friend of friends.”
“We went out for drinks a while ago with Maisie and her boyfriend, and we just clicked,” James Phelps (Fred Weasley) told The Post.
“We had the same sense of humor. When HBO did the [2022 special, ‘Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts’] reunion thing, we filmed that on a Wednesday, and flew out to Saint Lucia on a Thursday. So going back to the Great Hall for the first time in 10 years was in our heads. And ‘Game of Thrones’ had only finished a few months before. So, it was quite cool. Obviously different productions, but similar experiences we were able to share [with Williams].”
The Phelps twins have had a more low-key post-“Potter” career than Daniel Radcliffe – appearing in scattered roles including the 2021 film “Last Night In Soho.”
They both currently live in London with their wives (and in Oliver’s case, kids) and see each other often.
“We’re fortunate, in the way that we don’t have to be doing a job after the next job all the time,” said James. “But, obviously we enjoy working a lot as well. We’re very content in where our lives are, at the moment. It’s great to be able to have some time for yourself and the family as well.”
In April, Max announced that the “Harry Potter” series will also get a TV adaptation.
The brothers said they would be interested in return to the “Potter”verse if asked.
“I suppose so. It’s one of those things where it’s never really a chapter closed in your life,” said Oliver … Whether as our characters, that’s a totally different thing – we’re not quite looking like high schoolers anymore! If it does happen, we only know as much as you do. But, it’s nice that there’s a lot of intrigue around the show.”
“We’ve got a very close bond with a lot of the Potter cast,” said James. “Because it’s like friends from high school or college. You’ve gone through a lot together.”
This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.
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