The truth about what happens behind the scenes at the World Cup

Every four years, 32 of the top national football (soccer, to us Yankees) teams from around the globe enter a roughly month-long tournament known as the World Cup. Watched by nearly half of the Earth's population at some point — with more than one billion tuning in just for the final match in 2014 — the World Cup is among the most popular sporting events on the planet.

The truth about what happens behind the scenes at the World Cup

Clearly, this tourney takes a staggering amount of preparation, much of which is not completed without controversy. From the scandal that rocked the tournament's governing body, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), to the billions spent and lives lost just to prepare host cities, the World Cup makes plenty of headlines before, during, and after the first kickoff.

Since the world obviously has no problem focusing on the actual gameplay, we figured we'd take a look at what goes down off the field. This is the truth about what happens behind the scenes at the World Cup.

Red flags for the FIFA brass

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On June 2, 2015, longtime FIFA President Sepp Blatter (above) announced his resignation from the post he held for 17 years. It was the culmination of years of investigation into fraud and bribery allegations by not only internal FIFA auditors, but also former MI6 agent Christopher Steele, as well as the IRS and the FBI.

According to The New York Times, Steele began looking into FIFA at the request of "wealthy individuals and corporations supporting England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup." The UK lost that bid in a debacle that included an embarrassing alleged bribery scandal that implicated Prince William and former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Steele concluded that Russia engaged in corruption of its own to win its 2018 bid to host, although this ultimately couldn't be proven, in large part, due to the alleged destruction of the bid team's computers. Steele passed his findings to the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Justice then took the ball and built a case that accused more than two dozen FIFA officials of varying degrees of "racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy," reported CNN.

Blatter was eventually slapped with a six-year ban from the sport over charges of making a "disloyal payment" to another former FIFA official. Having narrowly skirted corruption charges, Russia moved forward with its 2018 World Cup preparations, albeit under the heavy specter of foul play.

Missing the World Cup costs countries big time

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FIFA officials aren't the only ones to get red cards off the field. National teams have also been excluded due to shady sideline activities. Two teams in 2018 were eliminated from the tournament after being exposed in two very different scandals.

In March 2015, Zimbabwe was "expelled from the preliminary competition" after failing to pay former coach Jose Claudinei Georgini what was owed on his contract following his 2008 dismissal. According to Reuters, stiffing Georgini was just one example of the financial woes that plagued the Zimbabwe Football Association. In the past, the team has actually auctioned off everything from office equipment to artificial turf to pay down debt.

A month later, Indonesia was excluded from World Cup qualifiers and banned "from all international football" for "government meddling in the country's domestic league," according to Reuters. Officials from the Sports and Youth Ministry allegedly interfered with the league, which is a big no-no in the eyes of FIFA.

The dysfunction of both teams is remarkable considering the lofty rewards that come with participating in the World Cup — namely the $9.5 million teams get just for making the finals and the $38 million awarded to the champs. But hey, there's always 2022, right?

If you build it, they'll eventually park busses in it

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For host countries, the World Cup promises an unparalleled injection for the local economy. While it's undeniable that host countries' tourism industries enjoy a massive influx of international attendees during the tournament, the justification for spending billions of tax dollars on the event is typically couched in the hope of enjoying economic growth for years to come.

According to NBC News, 2002 hosts Japan and South Korea both reported a "boost" in their overall economies post-Cup. South Korea claimed an estimated "$4.1 billion in direct" and "15.1 billion in indirect economic benefits" as the net effect of its hosting stint, which seems like a valid justification for the hefty upfront price tag of $7 billion. However, according to economist Simon Bowmaker, who spoke to The Washington Post, the reality is that "most areas that host a major sporting event grow at a slower pace than normal after the event is over."

That hasn't stopped Russia from going even bigger. According to ESPN, the former Soviet Bloc nation is expecting a $31 billion return on its staggering $11 billion investment hosting the 2018 tournament. Again, that sounds like a worthy investment, but there are plenty of negative World Cup economic post mortem reports as well. Case in point: NPR reported that a $550 million stadium built by Brazil in 2014 is now "a parking lot for busses." Maybe they're really nice busses?

Dogs, drugs, and poor people need not apply

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Given the dubious nature of the rosy economic projections for hosting the World Cup, it should come as no surprise that the efforts and expenditure of host nations to stage such an event are always shrouded in controversy. The list of allegedly shady practices that have gone into World Cup preparation is long and grim, so we'll just study two recent examples.

Brazil went to dark and disturbing lengths to obfuscate the crime and poverty issues that plagued its tournament host cities in 2014. According to The Guardian, more than 100 innocent bystanders were killed by stray bullets during "heavy-powered gun battles" between a police and drug gangs in clean-up efforts ahead of the World Cup. Additionally, Al Jazeera reported that "250,000 people across Brazil" were allegedly "forcefully removed from their houses" or "threatened with eviction" to make way for stadium infrastructure projects.

Not to be outdone, Russia allegedly embarked on a campaign of stray dog genocide ahead of the 2018 World Cup. According to The Telegraph, Russian official Alexei Sorokin said, "There shouldn't be any stray animals, they should be destroyed, and that's it." The preferred method of destruction? Poison blow darts. According to The Sun, there are also unconfirmed reports of homeless people being rounded up and placed into "former army camps" away from tournament venues.

Terrible, right? Unfortunately, it gets even worse. Brace yourself, because this next bit could blow you right out of your sold out Nigeria kit.

Workers are literally dying to pull off Qatar 2022

There's a shady backstory to how 2022 host nation Qatar secured its winning bid for the World Cup, but let's focus instead on the human right atrocities allegedly being committed in preparation for the first tournament ever hosted in the Middle East.

According to a March 2015 report by the Independent, a force of approximately 1.5 million migrant laborers — some who were recruited under disingenuous circumstances — are living and working in terrible conditions to get the country's infrastructure overhauled in time. Long hours, dangerous work sites, and squalid living conditions are not even the worst aspects of the gig. By the way, Qatar's kafala system "prevents [migrant workers] from going home without their employer's permission," so they can't even quit.

As a result of this heinous labor arrangement, more than 1,000 workers have already died working on  World Cup-related projects, reported the BBC. That number is expected to reach 4,000, according to an estimate by the International Trade Union Confederation. Cries of opposition have grown louder, with mainstream publications going so far as to print headlines like: "Qatar's workers are not workers, they are slaves, and they are building mausoleums, not stadiums."

Shadiest moments at the 2018 World Cup

The history of the World Cup is littered with controversial and downright terrifying moments, but what separates the 2018 World Cup from the ones that came before it was that it began causing controversy long before a ball was even kicked.

A quick recap: Russia won the right to host the tournament in 2010, beating out strong bids from England, Holland, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, but the Russian victory was marred by allegations of corruption. Even former British prime minister David Cameron openly accused Russia of buying the vote. The Russians were exonerated after a lengthy investigation by a U.S. prosecutor reported no "undue influence" during the voting process.

All of this drama was soon forgotten when the tournament itself finally got underway in June 2018, bringing with it a whole new batch of controversies. From shocking instances of racism, homophobia, sexism, and even assault to bizarre goals and advertising campaigns, these are the shadiest moments at the 2018 World Cup.

Burger King's outrageous offer


Fast food giant Burger King faced widespread backlash after it used social media to offer Russian women a free lifetime supply of Whoppers if they managed to get pregnant by a World Cup star during the tournament. According to Sky News, the post urged local ladies to seek out "the best football genes" so their offspring would "ensure the success of the Russian team for generations to come."

That offer was particularly inflammatory in Russia because this wasn't the first time the notion of Russian women hooking up with tourists has been up for debate there. Tamara Pletnyova, head of the country's parliamentary committee on children and families, urged Russian women not to enter into relations with foreigners during the World Cup unless they want to raise a child alone. Her colleague, MP Mikhail Degtyaryov, had the opposite view: "The more love stories we have connected to the world championship, the more people from different countries fall in love, the more children are born, the better," he said.

Burger King responded by removing the post from social media and apologizing for the uproar. "It was too offensive," a spokesperson said.

Anti-Semitic England fans

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The English people put their lives on the line to fight the rise of Nazism in Europe during World War II, which makes this video of England fans doing Nazi salutes in Russia all the more shocking. Filmed in a bar somewhere in Volgograd (the location of England's opening game and the site of the WWII battle of Stalingrad,) the clip shows a handful of white Englishmen singing songs about Auschwitz and using anti-Semitic slurs, all while giving the controversial salute.

"We strongly condemn the actions of the people in this video," the English Football Association said in a statement (via Sky Sports). "We are working with the relevant authorities, including the UK Police investigations team, who are making enquiries to identify the individuals involved and take appropriate action. The disgraceful conduct of the individuals in this video does not represent the values of the majority of English football fans supporting the team in Russia."

A reporter was sexually harassed on live TV

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The BBC's Vicki Sparks made sports history in 2018 when she became the first woman to commentate on a World Cup match. While numerous people took to social media to show their support, the journalist dealt with a number of male trolls — a stark reminder that sexism remains rife in the world of soccer, but Sparks' treatment paled in comparison to what happened to reporter Julieth Gonzalez Theran.

The Colombian journalist was giving a live broadcast from Saransk on the first day of the tournament when a man grabbed her breast and kissed her on camera. Her broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, branded the incident a "nonconsensual attack" on its employee, and Theran later took to Instagram to address what happened. "RESPECT!" she wrote (via The Huffington Post). "We don't deserve this. We are equally valuable and professional. I share the joy of football, but we must identify the limits of affection and harassment."

Homophobic chants from Mexico fans
 
Not many pundits gave the Mexico team much of a chance going into the tournament, but when it pulled off a win against Germany (the reigning champions and one the favorites) there was cause for celebration. Those smiles didn't last very long, however, because the team soon found itself in hot water with FIFA over the behavior of its fans. Soccer's world governing body hit Mexico with a $10,000 fine for what it called "discriminatory and insulting chants" used by Mexican fans. According to USA Today, the "anti-gay" chants were directed at German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

This isn't the first time the Mexican soccer federation has had to pay up because of homophobic behavior from its supporters. The nation has been fined repeatedly by FIFA over the years, something Mexico's star striker, Javier Hernandez, wants to put a stop to. The former Manchester United man took to Instagram to plead with Mexican fans, urging them to stop using slurs inside the stadium. "Let's not risk another sanction," he said (via The Guardian).

Did a referee really ask for the shirt off Ronaldo's back?

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It's not uncommon for a soccer player to ask an opponent to swap shirts at the end of the game, especially when they come up against a star the size of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid and Portugal powerhouse is probably used to other players asking for his shirt by now, but having a referee ask for it is certainly not the norm … if that's what actually happened. According to Morocco midfielder Nordin Amrabat, referee Mark Geiger was so keen to get his hands on Ronaldo's game-worn jersey that he didn't even wait until the end of the game to ask for it.

"I do not know what he is used to, but he was very impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo," the outraged Amrabat said on Dutch TV (via SkySports). "I hear from [Portugal defender] Pepe that he asked in the first half if he should have his shirt. What are we talking about? At the World Cup? It's not a circus here." Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game as Portugal sent Morocco home, though the African nation didn't go quietly.

FIFA was forced to issue a statement regarding that jersey after Morocco called the match official's professionalism into question. The under-fire ref denied asking for the shirt, and FIFA backed him up, claiming Geiger acted in an "exemplary" manner and adding that it "unequivocally condemns" Amrabat's allegations.

Are the VAR up to par?

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The introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) was supposed to make the 2018 World Cup the fairest one in history. Having a set of officials observing the game on monitors has certainly helped the referees detect foul play that they otherwise might have missed (ten penalties were awarded in the first week of the tournament alone,) but has it really made the game more just? That depends on who you ask, and if you ask England fans, they'll answer with a definitive no.

During England's opening game against Tunisia, England's star striker, Harry Kane, was blatantly bundled to the ground inside the penalty area by Tunisian defenders on two separate occasions, yet VAR Sandro Ricci failed to notify referee Wilmar Roldan about either offense. According to the The Telegraph, FIFA promised to examine the incidents, which looked more like wrestling than soccer. The UFC even got involved, offering Kane some "double leg takedown defence" ahead of England's next game.

This wasn't the only VAR controversy to take place during the group stages of the tournament. Brazil lodged a complaint with FIFA after VAR failed to spot a push on one of their players in the run-up to Switzerland's goal. The governing body dismissed that complaint, stating (via Fox Sports) that it would use VAR "only to eliminate clear and obvious mistakes by the officiating crew."

Banned Blatter crashes the party

The court of arbitration for sport tossed out an appeal from disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2016, declaring that his six-year ban from soccer should stand. Blatter was sacked after it was discovered that he'd approved a payment of almost $1.8 million to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) president Michel Platini, who was also banned from working in soccer as a result of the scandal. According to The Guardian, Blatter said the decision was "difficult" to take and has continued to protest his innocence.

The fact that he feels as though he did nothing wrong may be what emboldened him to show up at the 2018 World Cup. His appearance caused quite the stir and prompted a statement from his former place of work. "FIFA has taken note of Mr Blatter's visit to Russia," a spokesperson told BBC. "We have no further comment at the present stage."

Blatter was at FIFA's helm when Russia was controversially awarded the World Cup, and it seems though he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have remained close. It was reportedly Putin who invited Blatter to the tournament so they could take in a few matches, and they also met "at the Kremlin for small talk, drinks and some food," Blatter confirmed. He added: "Now I am here as a fan and not as FIFA president. It's great that I was invited by Russia."

Senegal's controversial winner

When a player gets injured during a game, the rules state that they must leave the field for treatment. When they're ready to return to the action, a referee waves them back onto the field, but this wasn't exactly how it went down during Senegal's Group H match with Poland.

Having been sidelined for treatment, Senegalese striker M'Baye Niang returned to the field of play just as Poland was executing a crucial long-distance back pass to its goalkeeper. The game was tied at a goal apiece at the time, but Niang was able to intercept the pass and take the ball past Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to score the game-winning goal, much to the shock and and anger of the Polish team.

"It was kind of curious," Poland Coach Adam Nawalka told ESPN. "We were in possession. I'm convinced they didn't see the player coming off the sidelines. Wojciech tried to save the situation but he didn't manage it. We were very surprised, there was a lot of misunderstanding about it."

Things you didn't know about Barron Trump

Most of the Trump children have become well-known to the public over the years, but Barron remains a family outlier. The 11-year old son of the President first captivated the eyes of the world late on Election Night when he stood behind his father on the stage while victory was accepted. Barron, of course, looked more sleepy than jubilant on stage, which inadvertently won over the cold hearts of an America that was mostly happy the election cycle was finally over. Who is this young Simba-like figure? It's time we get familiar with America's new boy-prince, Barron Trump.

He's the only child of Donald and Melania
One thing about the incoming First Family to take note of is that it has a little bit more sprawl than the last one, owing to Donald Trump's multiple children by three wives. Barron Trump, the youngest of the clan, is but one branch of a family tree that includes Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr., born to Donald's first wife, Ivana Trump; and daughter Tiffany, born to Donald's second wife, Marla Maples.

As for Barron, he's the only child of Donald and Melania Knauss Trump, and was born on March 20, 2006. Until recently, he lived with his mom in their Trump Tower penthouse on Fifth Avenue in New York City, while dad moved into the White House after assuming his new role as POTUS. Donald and Melania were married about a year prior to Barron's birth, in January 2005.

His delayed move to the White House was because of school
As of this writing, Barron and his mother have officially joined President Trump in residence at the White House. But the reason they stayed behind wasn't because of the lack of gold plating in the West Wing. It was so Barron could finish out his year at the prestigious and very-expensive Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, where he attended through the end of the school year.

Reassuring him that he'd be able to finish out his year at the school that Us Weekly reports has a price tag of around $45,000 per year, Barron's mom told him, "Take it day by day, enjoy your life, live your meaningful life as I like to do." We're not sure the then-10-year-old Barron was able to process such a life-changing move through the lens of that fortune cookie wisdom, but he did get to finish the year with his friends and classmates. Although things at the school definitely changed after November 8th, 2016…

Parents at Barron’s school had a post-Election freakout
Anyone who has so much tried to walk near Trump Tower will tell you that Donald Trump's presidential victory has created major headaches for the city of New York. Apparently, though, few people were more worried than the parents at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School. "Some parents are freaking out and worked up about security and what the school is going to do," a board member told Vanity Fair. Some are worried about safety concerns; others are reportedly annoyed about various inconveniences—like, you know, the time the school's sole elevator was blocked off for Melania for an open house event in 2016.

The school even had a real life scare scenario in March of 2017 when a lockdown procedure was put into place after a suspicious vehicle was spotted outside the building. According to The New York Daily News, "a military-style bag in a beat-up blue and silver pick-up truck with an Indiana license plate" was reported to police as a "suspicious package," triggering a bomb squad response and the school's reactionary security procedure. It's a frightening scenario for any school, but one that carries additional weight when the President's son happens to be enrolled there.

He's the first boy to live in the White House in decades
Now that Barron's actually made it to Washington, he has officially become the first boy to grace the halls of the White House in almost 60 years. Yep, the last time America had a "First Boy" was all the way back in 1961, when John F. Kennedy's son, JFK Jr., moved into the White House when he was just a baby, according to CNN.

And Barron made his entrance to the presidential residence in true Trump fashion, exiting Marine One and strolling across the White House lawn to his new digs while wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words 'The Expert.' And here we thought Uncle Jared was the boy wonder of the family.

He's not into wearing sweatpants
As one might expect from someone born into a billion-dollar business family, little Barron has been dressing for success pretty much his entire life. He even wore a suit to the launch of his half-sister Ivanka's book when he was only three-and-a-half-years-old, according to People magazine.

"He's not a sweatpants child," Melania said while discussing her son with ABC News in 2013. "He doesn't mind putting on [a suit]-but not every day- and he likes to dress up in a tie sometimes like Daddy." But that's not to say that Barron doesn't like a little comfort. In fact, he sometimes pairs his prep school uniform with customized New Balance sneakers that reportedly cost $149, according to Footwear News. Yep, you read that right. The Trumps pay $149 for Barron's sneakers and something called Footwear News actually exists in reality.

He used to moisturize his skin with caviar

If you needed further proof that Barron isn't your typical 10 year old, try this one on for size: in 2013, his mother admitted to ABC News that, at the time, she applied her own line of caviar-infused moisturizer to his skin after he took his his nightly bath. "It smells very, very fresh," Melania said of her Caviar Complex C6 skin care line. "I put it on him from head to toe. He likes it."

Unfortunately for the two of them, this tradition may have been short-lived; according to Racked, Melania's skin care line fell apart shortly after its high-profile launch.

He takes after his father

Given that he loves to wear suits and moisturize his skin with caviar, it should surprise exactly no one that Melania often refers to her only son as "little Donald" and "mini-Donald." "He is a very strong-minded, very special, smart boy," Melania told Parenting. "He is independent and opinionated and knows exactly what he wants. Sometimes I call him little Donald. He is a mixture of us in looks, but his personality is why I call him little Donald."

"When he was 5 years old, he wanted to be like daddy: a businessman and golfer," she added later in the interview. "He loves to build something and tear it down and build something else. He is very detailed at drawing. We travel often and he remembers everything he sees. Sometimes later the same day or the next he would build something like he saw or imagine something himself."

In a 2013 interview with ABC News, Melania again referred to Barron as "mini-Donald," which if we're being honest, has to sting a little for Barron's older half-brother, the actual Donald Jr.

He may or may not have a nanny

In a September 2015 interview with People magazine, Donald and Melania insisted they did not use a nanny to help raise Barron. "I like to be hands-on," Melania told the magazine. "I think it's very important. Barron is 9 years old. He needs somebody as a parent there, so I am with him all the time. As you know my husband is traveling all the time."

Days after the interview was published, Donald, in true form, told the New York Post that there was, in fact, a "young woman" who "works with Barron." Still, to this day, reports describe Melania as being "really devoted" to her son; a source told the Post in November 2016 that Melania is often seen picking up Barron from school. That same source also claimed that Melania had not relied on nannies to help raise her kid. So, who knows what the heck is going on?

What these Harry Potter stars are doing today

What these Harry Potter stars are doing today  

Mariel Loveland
It's been a long time since our favorite Harry Potter stars graduated from Hogwarts, and most of us have kept a watchful eye on our favorite three protagonists — Harry, Hermione, and Ron. We all know Emma Watson became a highly sought-after actress and feminist icon (she was appointed the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2014). Few things were as delightfully British as Rupert Grint starring in Ed Sheeran's music video for "Lego House." And, of course, none of us can forget that bizarre movie where Daniel Radcliffe was a farting corpse. But what happened to everyone else in the cast?

An alarming number of Hogwarts alumni have taken up careers in theater. Surprisingly enough, Draco Malfoy managed to turn over a new leaf and become a loving friend to the kids he used to torture. The same, however, can't be said for his faithful sidekicks (one of which was jailed for carrying around a Molotov Cocktail). Then there's Neville Longbottom, for whom we have no words.

From the Weasley twins to Harry Potter's high school sweetheart, here's what everyone will be talking about at the Hogwarts high school reunion. 

Neville Longbottom got hot

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Puberty does wonders, doesn't it? In 2015, Matthew Lewis shocked the masses when he debuted a smoldering six pack on the May cover of Attitude Magazine. He looked so far removed from the timid, chubby character that made him famous that BuzzFeed coined the term "Neville Longbottoming" to mean when some nerdy kid gets really, really hot.

For Lewis, his transformation wasn't the result of a beauty spell. He hired a personal trainer who helped him cut out carbs, sugar, and alcohol, but his transformation began long before he left Hogwarts. Lewis started losing so much weight during the series that he had to wear a fat suit while filming the final chapters.

"As Neville grew throughout the books, so did I. My evolution as Matthew Lewis really coincided with Neville," he said during a 2017 panel (via People).

Neville may have achieved peak hotness (and peak bravery after destroying the horcrux), but he also got his fairytale ending. In May 2018, Lewis wed his longtime girlfriend, American Angela Jones, in a gorgeous Italian ceremony and announced the news on Instagram. He was met with praise from fellow Hogwarts alum Katie Leung (Cho Chang), who wrote, "Aw Big congrats and love Matt. Xxxx."

Draco Malfoy kept in touch with his Hogwarts enemies

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Apparently, Hogwarts has high school reunions just like any other school. The same week that Kim Kardashian attended her 20-year high school reunion, some of Hogwarts' best and brightest had a little get-together (even though they really didn't get along during their studies).

April 2018 marked seven years since Draco Malfoy terrorized students in the halls of Hogwarts, but the snarky Slytherin was game for a reunion with Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom, the Gryffindors he used to bully. Hey, it's never too late to change. In real life, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, and Emma Watson are super-tight despite their characters' differences.

Felton shared a snap of the reunion on Instagram with the caption, "School mates #hogwartsalumni." Emma Watson and Jason Issacs, who played Draco's dad, Lucius, used the comments section to discuss their gorgeous teeth. "It's true, our teeth do look excellent," Watson wrote. Way to beat British stereotypes, guys!

Nymphadora Tonks got her own sci-fi series — with Draco Malfoy

Nymphadora Tonks and Draco Malfoy have always been connected — they're first cousins despite the fact that neither of them ever acknowledge it in the series. As it turns out, the on-screen cousins, played by Natalia Tena and Tom Felton, are even more friendly off-screen. The two banded together to take on a sci-fi series for YouTube Red.

According to BBC, Origin will debut as a 10-episode series that follows a group of strangers who are stranded on a spacecraft. The passengers, who were headed for a distant planet, must work together to get out of their situation, but someone is hiding a major secret. Sounds juicy, right?

Since being sorted into Slytherin, Felton has crafted quite the sci-fi career. He starred alongside James Franco in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (and was inadvertently responsible for the ape uprising). Tena, on the other hand, went straight from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to HBO's award-winning fantasy series Game of Thrones, where she played the recurring character Osha until 2016.

George Weasley developed a passion for theater

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Oliver Phelps, the oldest of the Phelps twins, hasn't had many acting roles since appearing in the Harry Potter series as George Weasley. Besides regularly showing up to Harry Potter-related events like the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, he nabbed the role of Mr. Carter alongside his twin brother James in the BBC One movie Danny and the Human Zoo. He's also set to star with James for a third time in the dramedy Own Worst Enemy. Sadly, the British indie has been stuck in post-production since 2016. Beyond that, Oliver has since revealed to the world that he's not a natural redhead (gasp!) and that he's found a passion for theater.

In early June 2018, Oliver was gearing up to make his stage debut as Detective Sergeant Totti in The Classic Thriller Theatre Company's production of The Case of the Frightened Lady. The Phelps twins had no acting experience prior to Harry Potter, so it's not surprising that Oliver was okay jumping into the world of theater cold.

"I know I need to prove that I can do it live in a theater, but I love that sink or swim challenge," he told Coventry Live. "And I'm sure I'll find out there's no better place to sink or swim than on the stage."

The Case of the Frightened Lady debuted on June 12 at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry.

Fred Weasley enjoys golfing more than playing Quidditch

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Apparently, the only contact sport allowed at Hogwarts was Quidditch. But that didn't stop Oliver and James Phelps from developing a passion for golf that remained long after they graduated from wizarding school.

In an interview with Today's Golfer, the pair spoke about their various golfing excursions. While Oliver had a habit of hitting the local courses with castmates Rupert Grint and Tom Felton, James flew to Ibiza specifically for golf outings. He's also played while filming in Australia and fangirled over meeting golf legend Arnold Palmer at a course near Florida's Universal Studios.

"We've been lucky to play at some amazing courses all over the world — I've so many bag tags that it jingles like Father Christmas's sleigh," James admitted.

In addition to honing in on his golf skills, James' film career has fared better than his brother's. Notably, he appeared in the 2015 black comedy Patchwork and is set to star in the 2019 fantasy Cadia: The World Within.

Ginny Weasley went from magic to menopause

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Upon the end of the Harry Potter series, we learned that Ginny Weasley became a journalist after graduating from Hogwarts and marrying Harry Potter. According to Pottermore (via Gizmodo), she covered the Quidditch World Cup for The Daily Prophet, where she was a senior correspondent. Much like her on-screen character, Bonnie Wright is also a writer. She stepped behind the scenes after Deathly Hallows and crafted a career writing and directing short films, music videos, and commercials. When her days at Hogwarts came to an end, Wright went to London College of Communication where she studied filmmaking. Her thesis, a short film about a young girl befriending an old man, starred David Thewlis, who played Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter series. Wright later launched her own production company in 2012.

Another of Wright's directorial projects ditched the magic and ramped up the menopause. Medusa's Ankles, a 2018 short film adapted from an A.S. Byatt short story, uses a hair salon as a setting to examine the female experience of aging. Wright cast fellow Harry Potter star Jason Issacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, as the charismatic hairdresser Lucian.

Dudley Dursley lost a whole lot of weight

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Dudley Dursley was never Harry Potter's most popular character. He was kind of the worst, unless you're comparing him to Voldemort (though he did sort of redeem himself after Harry saved him from Dementors). Actor Harry Melling hasn't really had much work since his days terrorizing Harry Potter, and part of that is because he just can't shake the iconic role.

"I kind of want to let it go. It's done," he told The Stage. "I don't know if it will ever really be done. People will still go, 'Oh you're Dudley Dursley, the fat one.'"

Strangely enough. Melling isn't "fat" anymore. He pulled a total Neville Longbottom and shed so many pounds before the last Harry Potter film that he was almost recast. His weight loss journey began in 2007 after performing at the National Youth Theatre and ended with him in a fat suit during The Deathly Hallows. The weight loss allowed him to reinvent himself on the stage, and he attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He shifted his focus almost entirely to theater after primarily appearing in shorts and minor TV and film roles. This included a spot in the 2016 Robert Pattinson film The Lost City of Z.

Luna Lovegood became a vegan activist

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Though Evanna Lynch was widely loved as the quirky Ravenclaw Luna Lovegood, she hasn't had any acting gigs in the years since the series ended. Her film credits pretty much dip off after 2015's My Name Is Emily and Danny and the Human Zoo – but that's totally okay. She's moved her efforts towards a worthier cause. Lynch is a vegan activist and uses her podcast The Chickpeeps to advocate for a more sustainable, cruelty-free lifestyle.

With zero acting gigs slated for 2018, Lynch is wildly busy saving the world. After partnering with animal rights organization Surge for the Official Animal Rights March in London, she plans to take her activism to the Reducetarian Summit. The three-day summit aims to help people reduce their meat consumption. She will serve as a keynote speaker alongside Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown and representatives from Quorn, Google, Greenpeace, and the Humane Society.