The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 781

With a soft cry, the young woman's legs buckled. Losing her balance, she tried to steady herself but only ended up lurching towards Matthew.

For a moment, Matthew thought he had run into Jessica Alba; after all, this was her kind of trick.

But in the next instant, he got a clear look at the tall girl's face. It wasn't Jessica Alba, but he recognized her all the same.

Jennifer Lawrence.

Matthew reached out just in time to catch her.

It would have been easy enough to step aside, but Lily was right next to him. If he moved, the girl might fall on her instead.

Before Lawrence could even let out a gasp of surprise, she felt a firm hand grip her shoulder, stopping her off-balance body from tilting any further.

Matthew gave Jennifer Lawrence a gentle push, helping her stand upright.

Jennifer Lawrence quickly straightened up and immediately looked down at the ground: the high heel of her left shoe had broken off.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she stammered, hastily crouching down. She rubbed her ankle first, then picked up the broken heel and tried to fit it back onto her shoe, apologizing the entire time.After fixing her shoe, Jennifer Lawrence slowly stood up. "Thank you." She glanced at Matthew, and the panic and apology on her face instantly shifted to astonishment. "M... Matthew, you're Matthew!"

Matthew smiled and said politely, "Hello, Ms. Lawrence."

"Oh!" Jennifer Lawrence's face was a mixture of surprise and a slight, bewildered confusion. "You know me?"

Lily peeked out from behind Matthew, her eyes darting first to Jennifer Lawrence's feet and then to the nearby path. The ground was perfectly smooth, without so much as a single loose stone.

She couldn't help but scratch her head. This was odd.

Matthew glanced at Jennifer Lawrence. Was she really faking it? He replied casually, "It seems Ms. Lawrence has forgotten that we met on the set of 'The Burning Plain'."

Jennifer Lawrence stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth falling open. She quickly covered it with her hand and finally offered an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry, I..." She scratched her face like a child who had made a mistake. "I'm so forgetful, and I get mixed up sometimes. I can't believe I forgot about that."

"You..." Lily suddenly chimed in. "How could you forget my godfather?"

Jennifer Lawrence immediately seized on the word "godfather" and gave Lily another apologetic smile.

Johnny Depp glanced at Lily for a moment, then cleared his throat and said to Matthew, "You two talk. Lily and I have things to do. See you tomorrow."

As an old friend, he was well aware of Matthew's proclivities, a habit he'd known about since they filmed "Pirates of the Caribbean." Now that a girl had taken the initiative to approach him, was Matthew likely to remain indifferent?

"But, Dad..."

Before Lily could finish, Johnny gently tugged her along.

Matthew nodded. "See you tomorrow at nine."

Seeing the little girl being led away, a smile appeared on Jennifer Lawrence's face. Now there was no one to get in her way.

"Dad!" Lily cast one last look at Jennifer Lawrence and added, "That lady is so clumsy she can fall over on flat ground."

Johnny Depp couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Darling, you just saw a girl with some serious acting skills."

Lily kept glancing back, muttering, "No wonder Godmother said Godfather is a womanizer..."

***

"Jen! Matthew, you can call me Jen. If you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have even remembered we'd met before."

She offered a sincere smile. "Thank you. I would have fallen if you hadn't helped me."

Matthew gently shook his head. "It was nothing."

At first, he had thought the girl's tactic was too clumsy and uninspired, but he now realized it was an effective way to make an impression.

And it had happened before—Jennifer Lawrence had taken a tumble in front of him and Charlize Theron the last time they met.

When it came to grabbing attention and leaving a lasting impression on her own, Jennifer Lawrence had it down to a science.

"Should we talk somewhere else?" Jennifer Lawrence glanced at the actors and crew members who were passing by from time to time. "There are too many people here."

Matthew nodded and asked, "Is your foot all right? Can you walk?"

Jennifer Lawrence gently tapped her foot on the ground. "It hurts a little."

She tried taking a few steps, which seemed a bit awkward, and then said, "I can walk."

Matthew glanced down at her foot and, like a true gentleman, stepped closer. "Let me help you?"

Jennifer Lawrence didn't object, extending her arm for Matthew to take and smiling. "That's much better."

Matthew knew Jennifer Lawrence must be up to something. Preliminary auditions for many of the main characters in "The Hunger Games" were being held today, and she had obviously caught up to them.

Jennifer Lawrence was well aware that this little trick wouldn't fool Matthew. The audition had just ended, and she had come out at the perfect moment to see him leaving the studio. Without waiting for her agent, she had immediately chased after him.

Evidently, Matthew still remembered her. That fall on the set of "The Burning Plain" hadn't been for nothing.

"Do you have time?" Jennifer Lawrence's initiative was very obvious. "You helped me, so I'd like to express my gratitude."

As they walked, she held onto Matthew's arm tightly. "I'll treat you to dinner."

Matthew glanced at his wristwatch—it was nearly closing time—and said, "That's not necessary."

Jennifer Lawrence was slightly disappointed but didn't let it show. She was about to open her mouth when Matthew added, "It would be better if I treated you."

Jennifer Lawrence smiled and agreed.

Matthew helped Jennifer Lawrence to the studio entrance, and just as he was about to get into his car, he saw Martin Campbell.

He had received reliable news a while back that Martin Campbell had been confirmed as the director for "Green Lantern." Matthew deliberately stood by the car to get a good look at him, wondering if the director could save "Green Lantern" from going completely off the rails.

Jennifer Lawrence followed his gaze to Martin Campbell and asked, "Isn't that the director of 'Casino Royale'?"

Matthew didn't answer. He just looked away, opened the car door, and gestured for her to get in. "Please."

Jennifer Lawrence ducked her head and got into the car. Matthew closed her door, walked around to the other side, and told the driver, "To Beverly Hills."

Hearing they were heading to Beverly Hills, Jennifer Lawrence's heart settled a bit. She kept up her cheerful smile and chatted with Matthew.

The car pulled up to a restaurant on Rodeo Drive. Matthew requested a corner table, and he and Jennifer Lawrence ordered, enjoying their Italian food while making small talk.

"When I was fourteen, I decided to get into acting." Jennifer Lawrence steered the conversation towards actors and films. "I convinced my parents to take me to New York to look for opportunities. Even though I had no formal training or experience, I got lucky and signed with an agency after my very first audition."

Matthew chimed in, "Acting relies heavily on talent, which means you have a great gift for it."

"Thank you." Jennifer Lawrence raised her water glass and took a sip. "I still think it was mostly luck."

She smiled brightly and continued, "At sixteen, I managed to get a role in a Charlize Theron film. I learned a lot from her, and this year I starred in a small production as the female lead."

"Is it in theaters yet?" Matthew asked at the right moment. "What's the name of the film? I'll check it out sometime."

Jennifer Lawrence immediately replied, "It's not out yet. The film is called 'Winter's Bone'."

Matthew hadn't heard of it; it was most likely an independent film.

"I hope I get lucky this time," Jennifer Lawrence said breezily. "I auditioned for the lead in 'The Hunger Games,' and I'm hoping I can get the part."

Matthew raised his glass. "I'm sure you will."

Jennifer Lawrence immediately raised her glass and clinked it against Matthew's. "I believe it too."

With that, they both drained the wine from their glasses.

"I really love Katniss." Jennifer Lawrence set her glass down and returned to her earlier topic. "Just like the protagonist of 'Winter's Bone,' they are both very strong girls."

"Strong women are extremely attractive," Matthew responded.

Jennifer Lawrence quickly replied, "I'm a strong girl too." She tilted her head and looked at Matthew. "Isn't that attractive too?"

"Of course," Matthew smiled. "And everyone likes straightforward girls."