George Weasley actor Oliver Phelps accidentally cracked a few of a 'Harry Potter' director's ribs on set

• In the "Harry Potter" special, Oliver Phelps said he hurt the director during "Goblet of Fire."
• Director Mike Newell was trying to show the Phelps twins how the Weasleys should fight for a scene.

While filming "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," director Mike Newell was accidentally injured by a cast member.

During the HBO Max special "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts," the director of the fourth film spoke about having some of his ribs broken on set by Oliver Phelps, who played George Weasley.

Newell was attempting to demonstrate what should be done for a fight scene by wrestling with Phelps

During a scene in the fourth movie, George and Fred Weasley, played by James Phelps, fight after their plan to enter the Triwizard Tournament backfires and makes them both look like old men.

The scene wasn't coming together because the twins weren't fighting intensely enough, so Newell stepped in to demonstrate what the fight should look like.

Newell asked the twins who wanted to fight with him for the demonstration. Oliver said, "like an idiot," he volunteered.

The director dove on Phelps, which he later said he "really shouldn't have done" because he was a "tubby, 60-year-old gent."

The Weasley actor did the same and rolled Newell to the side, which broke several of the director's ribs.

"I remember gripping him 'round the waist and trying to fling him about and so forth and cracked a couple of ribs," Newell said.

The moment was captured on the still-rolling cameras and happened in front of a bunch of cast members, who were already on set for the fight scene.

The director added that he was in "absolute agony" for the rest of filming but said he thinks the experience made everyone on set feel "much better" because he'd made a fool of himself.

The cast had great things to say about working with Newell on the fourth film

Newell was chosen to direct the fourth movie because the producers wanted a British director who could produce a "theatrical" film. In the special, the cast fondly remembered working with him.

Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, called the director an "excited, loud, passionate man."

Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley, said Newell was a "firecracker of energy" with an "endearing child-like quality." Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, said he "loved" the director and liked that he tried to "find humor" in every scene.