Why Tom Hanks supports Aston Villa as Hollywood star spotted at ...

Hollywood actor Tom Hanks has been spotted at Aston Villa's Villa Park home ahead of their crunch clash with Liverpool on Monday night.

The famous actor was seen in B6 for Villa's final Premier League home game of the season. Unai Emery's side are looking to cement a fourth place finish with a win over the Reds.

Hanks has spoken about his support of the club in the past after being spotted with a claret and blue scarf in a Villa match. In an interview, he was even asked if he would ever consider buying the club after Wrexham was purchased by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020.

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He told the BBC: "I think Wrexham is a little bit different in the economic scale than Aston Villa. That's a little above my pay grade."

Here's all you need to know about Hanks' passion for Villa.

Why does Tom Hanks support Villa?

Hanks first spoke of his support for Villa in January 2008. He made the revelation at the premiere of his film Charlie Wilson's War in London.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor likes Villa's 'old world name' and was quoted saying: "Aston Villa sounds like a lovely little place. It sounds like a spa," he told James Corden.

"I thought ‘Aston Villa’, what a lovely vacation spot! Aston Villa. It's beautiful villa, you throw open the French doors, there’s the beautiful port of Aston down below you.

"And it turns out it’s in Birmingham. There’s nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with Birmingham. But it’s not a town for the light-hearted, I tell you that.

"So I’m a dedicated Aston Villa fan since then. I’ve seen them play once, a friendly in the USA, so yes, I support them."

He has appeared on red carpets waving a scarf in the club's colours and has spoken of his support for the club in several interviews. His friend and fellow actor Bob Stephenson is a Villa fan.

"Every time you read about other media in the States, it’s always about the other teams," Hanks said ahead of the Liverpool game. "You get the ones in red. But it’s always good to read about Aston Villa.

"I was here a year ago for the first time and it was a magical thing. Whenever I’m in the UK, I always check my schedule to see if I can make it to Villa Park and it worked out that I can watch Villa make history tonight. Up the Villa!”

Has he been to a match?

Yes, he attended Villa's pre-season friendly at Portland Timbers in the summer of 2012, flying in from Los Angeles to watch the match with Stephenson.

The match ended in a 2-2 draw and concluded with a penalty shootout. Before the game he posed for photographs with manager Paul Lambert and players including Fabian Delph and Gabby Agbonlahor and has been spotted at more games since then.

What has he said about Villa?

In a TV interview on Channel 5 in 2013, Hanks spoke of his support of Villa. Asked if he was a Villa fan, he replied: "I am. Well I've seen one Aston Villa match, it was a friendly in the United States.

"I try to keep up. I have a very good friend that lives and dies by Aston Villa, he's in Los Angeles as well, so I'm always getting my updates from him.

"Because I can never figure out what channel the football match is on on my grid at home - 583, 643, 801? I can never quite find it.

"Every time I'm looking at the football matches on the soccer channels, as we call it, it's always West Ham playing Man United, Tottenham v Queens Park Rangers. Bring me Villa, bring me Villa!

"Doesn't it sound like a lovely place, Aston Villa? I had a lovely massage at Aston Villa...."

Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live in 2015, the season where Villa were relegated from the Premier League, Hanks did not give up on the club. He said: "Listen. Rooting for a football team is a life lesson, the ups are ups and the downs are downs, you've just got to roll with them."

A few months later when the club’s relegation was confirmed, Hanks issued a message to the Villa supporters.

The Forrest Gump star said: "This is a message to all the claret and blue: Hang on. There's not a club in the world that hasn't experienced this and there's not a club in the world that hasn't fought back. Aston Villa will see their destiny through. Hang on. Don't give up. Wear the scarves. Be proud."