Throughout the history of cinema, more than a few iconic movie sets have graced the silver screen, and some of those have come by way of the Harry Potter franchise. Diagon Alley, Platform 9 ¾ and the Forbidden Forest are just a few of the sweet sets that are the result of fantastic production design teams. Of course, there’s also the Great Hall, which is particularly impressive and a set I’ve always wanted to set foot in. However, per series veteran Oliver Phelps, there’s a ”smelly” downside to that particular Hogwarts set.
During six of the eight Harry Potter films, Oliver Phelps filmed scenes as George Weasley on the Great Hall set. So he knows a thing or two about what the vibe is like when working in that particular environment. As a viewer, my perspective is that the set looks absolutely incredible whenever it’s on screen (except for when it’s damaged in Half-Blood Prince, of course). But, as Phelps recently revealed to People alongside twin brother James, who played Fred Weasley, there was a nasty odor when filming took place on that soundstage:
It was funny because when we were filming any Great Hall day, when it was just filled with people, there’d be so many smells. Even now, if I watch any of those scenes, I can still smell roasting or oiled vegetables — which isn’t a great smell.
Of course, the Great Hall serves as a dining area for Hogwarts students and staff and, as a result, there’s typically a lot of food present during the scenes shot on that set. From the outside looking in, I would’ve imagined that there’d be some sweet aromas due to the presence of all those delectable vittles. However, the ultimate result is something that Phelps just doesn’t find all that pleasant:
To look good for all the feasts and everything like that, they wanted all these turkeys and everything like that. But yeah, the elements I just think of are smelly socks pretty much.
Just the thought of inhaling such a smell while on set makes me cringe just a little bit. It stinks (no pun intended) to hear that filming within the dining hall set-up wasn’t all that fun for Oliver Phelps. However, this detail doesn’t seem to have sullied his experience working on the films at all. He and James often fondly speak about their time making the Wizarding World films. Also, as Oliver even recalled during his recent interview, there was a cool upside to the the dining area soundstage:
When we weren’t filming on one set, it would be open. So we’d play soccer in the Great Hall or we’d play cricket on Privet Drive. All those kinds of things, so the behind-the-scenes memories still come back quite a lot.
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That closeness to the franchise remains as the Phelps brothers now serve as the co-hosts of Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, which is currently in its second season (and streamable with an HBO Max subscription). Oliver and James also remain close to some castmates, including Bonnie Wright, who played their sister in the films.
I suppose that with a number of experiences, a person will naturally experience great elements and some that are not as fun. The bad smell in the Great Hall could likely be chalked up in that “not as fun” category when it comes to his Potter days. Still, the notion of standing on that set amid filming seems cool, “roasting or oiled” vegetable smell be darned.
Check out all eight Harry Potter movies now on HBO Max or with a Peacock subscription (and try not to think too hard about that smell in the Great Hall set when watching those scenes). Also, keep your eyes peeled for information on what’s to come with the Wizarding World franchise.
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