The tale of Tom Hanks - super Aston Villa fan

Why would Tom Hanks support Aston Villa? (Aston Villa via Getty Images)

Why would a well-known and popular actor, who, some critics might say, has left his glory days behind him, choose to support a team like Aston Villa?

The double Oscar-winner was in Oregon this week to watch the Villans beat the Portland Timbers and attracted almost as much camera flash as the game itself when he met the club's matinée idol-esque manager Paul Lambert.

The actor first admitted that he was a Villa fan in 2001 and has appeared on red carpets waving a scarf in the club's colours. But until this week he had never been to a game, unlike other famous Villans, the Black Sabbath guitarist Geezer Butler (who was in Portland for the game), Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William.

Other famous Premier League fans include Sylvester Stallone, who is apparently an Everton fan, and this week Jackie Chan was supporting Manchester City, during the club's tour of Asia.

But Hanks has some way to go before he reaches the level of affection that Fulham fans hold for their late companion, Michael Jackson. After the singer's death, the club erected a statue of the star outside their stadium in London.