While ex wife Reese Witherspoon is reportedly gearing up to tie-the-knot with longtime steady Jake Gyllenhaal, Stop-Loss star Ryan Phillippe is finally moving on as well.

The 33-year-old charmer has done a brilliant job of keeping his relationship with actress Abbie Cornish under wraps for the past several months. Yes those blasted shutterbugs did managed to obtain a few snapshots of the lovey dovey couple, but until Thursday night the pair had never stepped out for all the world to see.

While attending the 2008 Australian in Film Breakthrough Awards, Phillippe and Cornish let their guard down by exhibiting syrupy-sweet moments of PDA without so much as batting an eye.

“They were adorable,” a guest noted. “He had his arm around her and they were cozy and comfortable.”

The twosome held hands the entire evening, and at one point - just before Abbie took to the stage to accept her Breakthrough Award - Ryan lovingly “…rubbed her back while she leaned against his shoulder.” Awww!

They eventually left the event around 10 p.m., and scooted over to Hennessy’s weekly jazz night at Teddy’s.

Stop-Loss director Kimberly Pierce, who also put in an appearance at the ceremony, laid down a perfect description of Abbie’s charisma while chatting with People:

“We needed a girl who could knock back and drink the guys under the table, change a blown tire, whatever she needs to,” Pierce said of her reason behind casting Cornish. “And she was that. She’s that kind of girl.”

Sounds like Reese Witherspoon’s polar opposite eh? Phillippe must be diversifying his female portfolio!

~Carolyn French~