When asked about what he watches on TV at Times Talks London back in 2014, Damian first talks about the usual suspects including Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Game of Thrones and then adds that on top of his recording list is ALWAYS Match of the Day. And many thanks go to Bookworm for reminding me of a Homeland Fun Fact about Match of the Day! Remember the scene in Homeland Pilot where Carrie notices Brody’s almost jazz-like finger tapping…
source: Showtime…it turns out Damian is finger tapping to Match of the Day tune there. You can hear the story from the man himself on the Commentary for the Pilot on Homeland Season 1 DVD and even hear Damian humming the tune for Claire!
So, yes, Damian Lewis LOVES his footie!
Damian is a Londoner and currently lives in north London that puts him geographically in the Arsenal zone. But he roots for Liverpool.
Damian and I are only a year apart with me being one year his junior. This means we were kids at the same time in different countries with completely different cultures… But when it comes to football… In particular, if you live in a country where football is LIFE, say, in England where Damian grew up, or, say, in Turkey where I grew up, football fans speak the same language!
My dad was a football fanatic. He did not only follow the Turkish league very closely, but also the European leagues and championships. And, in late 1970s, there was one football club that had constant presence in our living room: LIVERPOOL. The club had a legendary manager, Bob Paisley who led Liverpool through a period of unprecedented domestic and European dominance, winning twenty major honors in nine seasons: six League Championships, three League Cups, six Charity Shields, three European Cups, one UEFA Cup and one UEFA Super Cup. They won EVERYTHING.
My dad liked Liverpool, and easily recruited me as a fan. We cheered for the team together and that is why Liverpool is always a warm reminder of my childhood. As I grew up, I found out about other things about Liverpool, the city, that made me love it even more: Liverpool is a working class city which is close to my politics, and it gave the Beatles to the world, which is close to my heart. So I have always had a soft spot for its football team.
It turns out, so has Damian… Well… If you were a young kid in 1970s seeing this fantastic football team sweeping all championships and cups in Britain as well as across Europe year after year after year, why would you go and support another? THAT’S WHY, Damian and I, and many other children of our generation, became fans! But while my dad gave me the love for football. Damian told me that his dad was not an influence. Mr. Lewis has always been a rugby guy.
So Liverpool doing extremely well in the UEFA Champions League again this year was certainly a top moment for Damian!
Damian and his fellow cast member Stephen Kunken, who brings the utterly hilarious Ari Spyros to life in Billions, bond over their love for football, and sometimes watch football matches together.
This sometimes happens during the weekend of filming Episode 402 when @SpursOfficial plays @LFC and Axe and Spyros meet in Brooklyn for a derby that of course Spyros loses. Never bet against Axe, Liverpool, or @lewis_damian @SHO_Billions pic.twitter.com/qzn7ls8HEZ
— Stephen Kunken (@stephenkunken) March 25, 2019
That said Kunken is not a Liverpool supporter. He roots for Tottenham Hot Spurs. And as Liverpool and Tottenham, two English Premiere League clubs made it to the UEFA Champions League Final, there were hilarious Twitter exchanges between the two actors!
When Liverpool gets to the final…
This is incredible. YNWA!!! https://t.co/3itsYCanBb
— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) May 7, 2019
…and when Tottenham Hotspurs gets to the final:
Holy crap football’s on crack.
Congrats @SpursOfficial and to my pal @stephenkunken (you still owe me $20) for a mighty performance. Always liked Spurs and I’m delighted for you but fun’s over now. @LFC and I will see you in Madrid.— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) May 8, 2019
Damian was in Madrid for the final game. And the music video he made and shared on Twitter before the championship match is simply incredible.
I mean, how many guys do you think can play the Liverpool tune “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with his teeth?!?!
https://twitter.com/FanFunDamian/status/1134577470420783109
Oh yeah I take that wink very VERY personally! 😀
While they did not play their best game, Liverpool scored two goals, one very early in the match (minute 2, penalty shot by Mohamed Salah) and the other very late (minute 87 by Divock Origi) against Tottenham Hotspur and won its 6th Champions League title. Congratulations!
https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1134926833734918144
Here is Damian posing for selfies in the stadium as he is cheering for his beloved Red Men, then tweeting his “morning after” look that says it was some after-party as well as his favorite moments of the championship final match weekend!
Morning after. GET. IN. pic.twitter.com/UCIxpuwOPB
— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) June 2, 2019
I cannot be happier that I was able to high-five Damian as I was screaming “Damian – You’ll Never Walk Alone!” on top of my lungs just a few days after Liverpool’s victory when our guy appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan. I already told you that have been a Liverpool fan as long as Damian has been! And as he was very lucky to be physically in the stadium, I was glued to the TV in a NYC pub rooting for LFC!
https://twitter.com/FanFunDamian/status/1135562988998537216
Oh, and, Damian gave the viewers a short summary of his Madrid weekend on Live with Kelly and Ryan, complete with mimicking Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s German accent. Thank you, mate!
ENJOY!
