By ANNA USHER

North Sydney played host to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars on Saturday, with a low-key visit going almost undetected.

Staff at The Greg Chappell Cricket Centre on Miller Street were bowled over when Oscar winner Tom Hanks dropped in with his son to buy sports gear ahead of a trip to Western Australia.

The 69-year-old Toy Story star is currently in Australia to film the sequel to his 2020 World War II movie Greyhound for Apple TV.

Dressed casually and attempting to keep a low profile behind dark sunglasses, Hanks looked so “laid back” that store manager John Doughty didn’t immediately recognise him.

“I didn’t actually recognise him to start off with,” Mr Doughty said.

Hanks remained largely incognito for a short time before a casual staff member realised the Forrest Gump star was in the store.

“By the end of it, most of the customers had left and it was just the three of us and Tom and his son,” Mr Doughty said.

Hanks was visiting with his son Truman, 30, and the pair bought a variety of “odd bits and pieces”, including a beach cricket set, caps, wicketkeeping gloves, cricket balls and shorts.

Mosman Collective broke the news on social media late on Monday, with locals flooding our pages to express their shock and delight.

“Tom’s already done movies about ping pong and baseball so why not cricket?” one reader wrote.

“What a shock it would be for the owner of the shop,” another said. “Unexpected to say the least!”

Another reader, Annie Goh, said she also spotted Hanks on the Metro and wondered what he was doing at Victoria Cross Station.

“I spotted him in the carriage about 15 metres away, despite his fantastic disguise of sunnies and a bucket hat,” Ms Goh said. “He was happy to take a selfie.

“He was lovely and very friendly.”