Aston Villa are one of the most historic clubs in English football. And with that history comes plenty of famous faces donning the claret and blue we see at Villa Park on a weekly basis. From acting greats to sports stars and musical royalty to actual royalty, if Aston Villa hosted a celebrity lunch, they wouldn’t be short on impressive guests.
With that said, we at Football FanCast decided to take a deeper dive into the aforementioned famous faces, as we discovered 10 Aston Villa-supporting celebrities courtesy of Birmingham World and the Birmingham Mail.
10 Ian Bell
One of England's greatest-ever cricketers, Ian Bell MBE, kicks off the list. Bell is also sometimes known by his nickname, The Sledgehammer of Eternal Justice – which has to be one of the coolest, if not outright crazy, nicknames in all sports.
Bell had an outstanding career both domestically and with England that spanned over three decades, with his first professional game coming in 1999 and his final one 21 years later in 2020. In total, he earned 188 Test caps for England, scored 7727 runs, made 46 50s and 22 100s. He also excelled in ODI's, playing in 161 for England, scoring 5416 runs at a strike rate of 77.
His was a career full of unbelievable moments, and his retirement three years ago meant that James Anderson was – and just about still is – the final member of the practically mythologised 2005 Ashes series to be still playing.
Bell's love of Villa stems from his childhood in the 1980s when he fell in love with the team thanks to players like David Platt and Tony Daley, and he's been following ever since.
9 Chris Woakes
Another name, another English cricketing great. Granted, Chris Woakes isn't quite on the same level as Bell regarding all-time greats, but not many are. That said, Woakes is currently one of the best bowlers in England, and when he does eventually retire, he will be remembered as such.
The 34-year-old has had a fantastic career so far for both the club sides he's represented and whenever he's been asked to represent his country on the global stage. Since making his Test debut in the final Ashes Test of the 2013 tour, he has earned a further 48 caps.
While he's officially an all-rounder and can be handy with a bat – his 137 not out against India in 2018 proves that – his bowling gets him selected for international matches.
In his 48 Test matches, he has taken 148 wickets for an average of 29.13 and an economy rate of 3.03. He has also racked up five five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul. However, his most remarkable series in an England shirt probably came in this summer's Ashes when he was drafted to play the final three Tests and ultimately named the Player of the Series for his unbelievable performances against the Aussies.
His love for the Villans stems from his childhood and the stories his father used to tell him about the club.
8 Benjamin Zephaniah
In a list full of athletes, actors and musicians, a Birmingham-born poet comes next. Benjamin Zephaniah is almost certainly one the country's most famous and successful poets in recent memory, with the Times including him in their list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008.
While his poetry and writing have earned him a lot of attention over the years – and for good reason – he has also boosted his presence among the public with his role in the hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders.
Zephaniah's love of the Claret and Blue has been with him all his life, and he used to be a regular at games until fan violence in the 1970s and 80s stopped him from attending for many years.
7 Brendan Gleeson
Actor and film director Brendan Gleason is one of Ireland's most famous faces and has made his love for Aston Villa no secret over the years.
He played Alastor Moody in – you guessed it, Harry Potter – and also featured in Braveheart, Gangs of New York, Suffragette and 28 Days Later. He has been nominated for 45 awards in his career, winning ten.
His love for the club has rubbed off on his son – and fellow actor – Domhnall Gleeson, who told Aston Villa TV that the number of Irish players in the team when he was growing up was a big part of why he's now such a fan alongside his dad:
"We won the European Cup in 1982, I was born in 1983 – and then when I was growing we had the great team – Paul McGrath, Steve Staunton, Andy Townsend, Ray Houghton – I love Ray Houghton!
"These were brilliant Irish players and inspired me."
6 Oliver Phelps
Primarily known for his role in Harry Potter as George Weasly – twin to Fred Weasley – Oliver Phelps is also a diehard Villa fan and has been all his life.
Interestingly, Oliver and his brother had zero acting experience before landing their roles as the Weasley twins and skipped a day of school to audition for the parts. Oliver has also appeared in the television show Kingdom and the film A Minds Eye.
Just to show how much of a fan he is, Phelps went on ESPN's version of Mastermind and chose Villa's 2003/04 season as his specialist subject and managed to get a seriously impressive 16 questions correct in just 60 seconds.
5 Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor (Duran Duran)
We weren't lying when we said music royalty. Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor of the 1980s supergroup Duran Duran have been lifelong supporters of Aston Villa. The band have been nominated for 17 awards since their inception, winning 11 – including two Grammys.
Like Black Sabbath, the band was involved in Birmingham's Commonwealth Games, performing a medley of their greatest hits at the opening ceremony.
4 Dan Bailey
The first American on this list is former NFL star Dan Bailey. The 35-year-old had a brilliant career in the NFL, playing for the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings as a Placekicker.
Speaking to Aston Villa TV in 2014, the former NFL star explained that he has always been a fan of the club, with Gareth Barry being one of the reasons he started following them:
"I grew up following soccer and following specific players. A lot of those players played for Aston Villa, so I just grew fond of the team, and it all took hold from there. I have continued supporting them ever since.
"I was a big Gareth Barry fan. He was a lot of fun to watch. I loved the way he played and his style on the pitch.
3 Black Sabbath
Aston Villa could make a pretty good gig from their famous fan cohort.
Formed in Birmingham, Black Sabbath qualify as both notorious Villans in the football world, and notorious Villains in the bat community. Sabbath are arguably the most influential band to come out of the midlands, with many often crediting the group for spearheading the development of metal music due to their heavy sound.
Most of the band have been lifelong fans of the Villa, with bassist Geezer Butler admitting to invading the pitch "after every game" he attended as a younger man.
2 Tom Hanks
Arguably the most unexpected name on this list – and possibly the coolest – Tom Hanks picked Aston Villa because he liked the club's name, according to Birmingham World.
The 67-year-old is one of the most iconic actors in the world and has starred in some of Hollywood's biggest movies, including; Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Catch Me If You Can and Sleepless in Seattle to name but a few of his blockbusters.
He is also among the most decorated actors working today, with an impressive 53 awards to his name and a frankly ridiculous 136 nominations for everything from writing, directing and acting. And if that wasn't enough, he's also an ordained minister and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2016 for services to American film and advocacy work.
Hanks made his first visit to Villa Park earlier this year when he was invited into the director's box to watch the club host Arsenal – a game they would lose 4-2 in the end.
1 Prince William
It's no secret that The Duke of Cambridge is a massive Aston Villa fan, but that doesn't make it any less interesting or strange.
He's been seen at plenty of games in the past, including Villa's 2018/19 play-off final at Wembley – a game they won, beating Frank Lampard's Derby County to earn a spot back in the Premier League.
William explained the reason behind his support for the club in an interview with the BBC in 2015, saying:
"A long time ago at school, I got into football big time. All my friends were Chelsea or Manchester United fans, and I didn't really want to follow the run-of-the-mill team.
"I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa has always had a great history."
As reasons go, it's a pretty respectable one, and with him set to be King one day, we're sure Villa are delighted with his decision.
So, there you have it, the ten most famous Aston Villa fans.
They'd certainly make some dinner party, with a range of celebrities in different fields. It's always good to see those new to the sport pick teams outside the traditional Big Six, and we aren't sure many clubs can boast a more interesting and famous set of fans than Villa.
We're not sure about you, but we'd love to see how a conversation between Tom Hanks, Ozzy Osbourne, Benjamin Zephaniah and Prince William would play out.