America Ferrera; Tom Hanks.Photo:Getty

America Ferrera Tom Hanks

Getty

America Ferrerais still buzzing over praise she received fromTom Hanks!

Speaking with correspondent Dave Karger at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Awards on Saturday, the 39-year-oldBarbieactress opened up about a moment when Hanks, 67, gave her props for her recent performance.

“I don’t know that I’m ready to talk about it. I’m not ready to talk about what he said, but I guess whenever anyone asks me, who were the actors you grew up wanting to be? I’d say Tom Hanks,” Ferrera said.

“I wanted to be Tom Hanks more than any other actor. I did. He’s every man. He’s like, we all see ourselves in him, right?”

While emphasizing that she was “not going to cry” onstage, Ferrera detailed how her interaction with Hanks went down.

“He came up to me at an event and he said very nice things to me and I’m still recovering from it, and that was truly the moment where I felt like … ‘Okay, I’m happy, I can tap out now,’ " she recalled. “Tom Hanks just said nice things to me.”

America Ferrera.Tibrina Hobson/Getty

America Ferrera

Tibrina Hobson/Getty

For her role inBarbie, Ferrera earned an Oscar nod in the Best Supporting Actress category. She was among 10 actors this year who earned their first-ever nominations for the March 10 ceremony.

As for those who helped celebrate the actress after her latest achievement, she toldVarietythat her costars from theSisterhood of the Traveling Pantsmovies —Blake Lively,Amber TamblynandAlexis Bledel— all called her with congratulatory messages.

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Among the other people who helped Ferrera celebrate her Academy Award nomination were herhusband, Ryan Piers Williams, andtheir children, Sebastian and Lucia.

“My publicist got to me first. And then my husband called me from the car as he was driving our kids to school,” Ferrera toldVariety. “He was screaming and emotional. I heard my kids in the back seat, like, ‘What are you screaming about?’ "

source: people.com