Tom Hanks undergoes a roller coaster of emotions as he watches Aston Villa lose 2-4 to Arsenal
Tom Hanks undergoes a roller coaster of emotions as he puts on a spirited display as he watches Aston Villa lose 2-4 to Arsenal.
Tom Hanks had a rollercoaster ride watching Aston Villa take on Arsenal at Villa Park on Thursday, with the latter taking the win as the game ended 2-4.
The Hollywood actor and vocal Aston Villa supporter, 66, was devastated by the outcome of the Premier League game as he watched from the directors box.
Sporting a navy quarter-zip over a white shirt and burgundy tie, it appears to be the Forrest Gump star’s first time visiting the stadium.
And happy to be there, he was seen greeting fans before taking his seat for kick-off.
It was also a positive start, as Tom jumped to his feet with joy as player Ollie Watkins stunned with a goal in just the fifth minute.
Cheerful: Tom Hanks went through a roller coaster of emotions on Saturday when he put on a cheery display as he watched Aston Villa lose 4-2 to Arsenal.
Not the result: The Hollywood actor and vocal Aston Villa supporter was devastated by the Premier League game defeat to Aston Villa as he watched from the directors box
Overjoyed, the actor clapped his hands and took the field with joy as the score was made.
Things were leveled when Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka scored on 16 minutes, making the score 1–1.
Aston Villa came from behind with a goal on 31 minutes, but were disappointed when Arsenal scored a nail-biting three late in the game.
Tom couldn’t hide his emotions as he expected victory in the first half, before suffering defeat later on.
He raised an arm in greeting, even pulling out his phone to film and take gameplay snapshots as he watched firsthand.
Before the game, the actor spent some time with the players as they made their way to the changing rooms, with the team tweeting: “It’s a pleasure to have you with us at Villa Park @tomhanks.”
California-born Tom has been vocal about his love for Birmingham’s Aston Villa team for a number of years, with his connection to the club believed to have started in 2008.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show in 2015, the star revealed his reasoning behind choosing the team, admitting that it was pretty random.
Hello from up here! He was seen greeting fans as he watched the game.
Almost: Tom couldn’t hide his emotions as he expected victory in the first half, before suffering defeat later on.
‘It happened because the first time I came to London, the football results were in the morning and it was all these cities that I didn’t quite understand.
Where is Stoke? Where is Blacksworth? Where is Slough? I didn’t know,’ she explained.
Continuing: ‘And then came the score… Aston Villa. I said, Aston Villa – what a beautiful sounding holiday paradise. I’ll lie in the sun, bring me a pina colada. I will spend two weeks at Aston Villa.
While presenter Graham noted that the Birmingham location had little in common with Tom’s image, he responded, “Now I know (what it’s really like) and I’m still with them.”
Outfit: Tom looked dapper when dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a white shirt with a burgundy tie, adding a navy quarter-zip to the top