Now playing in limited release and expanding nationwide this weekend is one of the best films you’re going to see this year: director Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines.  The pic centers on a professional motorcycle rider turned bank robber (Ryan Gosling) and a rookie police officer (Bradley Cooper).  Saying more would be detrimental to your enjoyment of the film, and I would encourage you to be very careful when reading about it.  Pines also stars Eva Mendes, Bruce Greenwood, Dane DeHaan, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, Emory Cohen, and Rose Byrne.   For more on the film, here are images, clips, and everything we’ve previously posted on the film.

At the New York City press day, I got to speak with Cohen.  We talked about how he prepared to make sure his character looked real and authentic on screen, how the script changed on set, improv, deleted scenes, waiting for the film to get released, future projects, and more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Though NBC’s musical drama series Smash is coming back for a second season, not all of the regulars from the first season will have a role, and they’re probably not even allowed back for the chorus (musical jokes!). Raza Jaffrey, who played Katharine McPhee‘s fiance in the first season and Jaime Cepero, who played the despicable assistant Ellis, have both been axed from the second season. In addition, Brian D’Arcy James, who played Debra Messing‘s husband Frank and Will Chase, who played the Broadway musical star with whom she cheated, are also not going to return as season regulars. More after the jump.