Tom Hanks has sent a typewriter to a boy who has been bullied because he's called Corona.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks

The 'Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood' actor wrote a kind note to eight-year-old Corona De Vries after the young Australian sent him a letter when he and wife Rita Wilson fell ill with coronavirus last month.

In his letter, Corona wrote: "I heard on the news you and your wife had caught the coronavirus. Are you OK?

"I love my name but at school people call me 'the coronavirus.' I get very sad and angry when people call me this."

The 63-year-old star - who spent several weeks quarantining in Australia, where he was working on Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic, when he fell ill - sent a letter replying to his new friend and also included a Corona-brand typewriter, which he'd used while recovering Down Under.

He wrote: "Dear Friend Corona, Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful! Thank you for being such a good friend - friends make friends feel good when they are down.

"You are the only person I've ever known to have the name Corona - like the ring around the sun, a crown.

"I saw you on TV, even though I was back in the USA already - and all healthy.

"Even though I was no longer sick, getting your letter made me feel even better.

"I thought this typewriter would suit you. I had taken it to the Gold Coast, and now, it is back - with you."

Tom - who famously has a huge collection of typewriters - urged Corona to continue their correspondence with the device.

He added: "Ask a grown up how it works. And use it to write me back."

And the actor ended the letter with a reference to the theme to his movie 'Toy Story'.

He wrote: "PS! You got a friend in ME!"

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