American actor Tom Hanks plays nice guys in his movies, and in real life, the actor is no different than his beloved characters.

Hanks surprised some Girl Scouts who were selling cookies on State Street in downtown Los Altos in February, when he passed by and bought four boxes of cookies from them.

Not only that, but Hanks also donated $20 to the Girl Scouts' cause and when people started swarming him asking for pictures, he said yes, but on one condition - that they buy Girl Scout cookies too.

"I'm still on cloud nine," Archana Appanna told Los Altos Online. Her daughter was one of the three Girl Scouts selling cookies that day. "We did not know who he was at first because he covered his face with a baseball cap and glasses."

Hanks had already left when they twigged that their last customer was the legendary actor who starred in Forrest Gump, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and Saving Private Ryan. So Appanna and the three girls left their post and rushed towards Hanks as he was walking away.

"Are you Tom Hanks?" they asked. The actor did not play coy with his real identity. He answered with a simple yes.

Appanna and the girls excitedly took pictures with him and when other people saw him, they asked if they could have a photo taken with the popular actor as well.

Hanks was very accommodating and agreed to the requests, telling them that he would agree to having his picture taken "only if you buy cookies from these young ladies."

Appanna, who grew up in India, was surprised by how charming Hanks is in real life. "He was so personable, so down to earth," she gushed.

Hanks was in the area with his son Truman to visit the typewriter shop Los Altos Business Machines. Truman's typewriter was due for repair, and while at the shop, the typewriter buff Hanks could not resist buying two vintage Smith-Coronas.

John Sansone, owner of the typewriter store, did not recognise Hanks at first until the actor spoke to him. "I never realised how distinctive his voice is," he said. "It was right out of a movie."