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Oliver Phelps lets his daughters discover Harry Potter at their own pace, sparking playful family moments
The eldest is aware of Dad’s iconic role; the youngest was hilariously surprised on the Hogwarts Express ride
The actor reflects on favorite film memories, including the Quidditch World Cup and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
For Harry Potter star Oliver Phelps, watching his daughters discover the magic of the wizarding world is a joy that rivals anything that happened on set.
The actor, 39, who played prank-loving twin George Weasley alongside his real-life brother James’ Fred Weasley in the iconic film series, exclusively tells PEOPLE that while his kids are slowly realizing just how big a part of their dad’s life the franchise was, he’s in no rush to make them superfans.
“To be honest, my eldest is eight, and she knows, obviously, of Potter,” says Oliver, who shares his two daughters with his wife, Katy Humpage. “She knows what it is because quite a few friends at school are really into it. But I’ve never pressed it on her. I want her to discover it for herself.”
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For now, the eldest simply knows it’s something special her dad once did — and something that changed their family’s lives. “She knows that it’s what Daddy did when he was younger,” he says. “It’s also afforded us this amazing life that we live. We’ve been able to travel, go to different places — all because of it.”
His youngest, though, is still connecting the dots — and had a hilarious moment of realization during a recent family trip to Universal Orlando. “We went on the Hogwarts Express train and she was sat next to me when we ‘fly in’ on broomsticks,” Oliver recalls, “she sat there looking at me, then looking at the screen, and going, ‘Dad, why are you there?’”
He continued, “It’ll take a while for her to quite work it out. She’s like, ‘Why is your hair that color?’”
That sense of childlike wonder — and the joy of revisiting old memories — also extends to how Oliver looks back on the Harry Potter films themselves. While he admits he still cringes a bit at watching his younger self on screen, certain moments always bring him back.
“My favorite scene would probably be the Quidditch World Cup,” he says, recalling Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. “The whole sequence from going to the stadium to the campsite when all the fire kicks up — it was amazing.”
“We’re big soccer fans back home, and I remember being told, ‘What would you do on the terraces at your football club?’ So we just went for it,” he says.
He laughs, remembering how their enthusiasm had to be reined in a bit. “We had to change some of the language the second time around,” he jokes. “But it really brought in that sports fan energy. That day was just so much fun.”
Another memory holds a special place in his heart — even if it makes him wince a little to watch now. “It’s probably going to sound silly, but the first time you see the Weasleys at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters,” Oliver says. “It was the first time you get introduced to the characters, and it was the first time I was ever on film.”
He continued, “I hate watching it because my voice is so high. I can’t even pretend I had a deep voice when I was a kid — and it’s on every Christmas, so everyone always hears it.”
Two decades later, Oliver’s Harry Potter legacy lives on — not only on screens but in his home, where the next generation is just beginning to uncover the magic for themselves.
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network, with episodes streaming the next day on Max and discovery+.
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