Conan's The First U.S. Late Night Host To Film In Cuba In Over 50 Years

By Jean Trinh

Published Feb 16, 2015 12:00 AM

Just three months after President Barack Obama announced the U.S. would lift travel and trade restrictions with Cuba, Conan O'Brien jumped on the chance and spent the past weekend filming in the country as part of a segment for his late night talk show.

The segment is scheduled to air on TBS' Conan on March 4, and it would make O'Brien the first American late night host to shoot in Cuba since the strict embargo began in 1962, reported Deadline. The last time an entertainer filmed there was 1959 when The Tonight Show host Jack Paar interviewed Fidel Castro, which he was criticized for doing.

O'Brien's team released a statement that said the host spent "multiple days taking in the sights, sounds and culture of the country" and that the trip would give "the Conan audience a rare glimpse into the daily life of a country not often seen by American viewers."

The host had been planning to go to Cuba for the past couple of months, and decided President's Day weekend would be the best since he wouldn't have to shoot a live episode on the holiday, giving him more time to travel.

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O'Brien isn't a stranger to shooting segments outside of Los Angeles. He's hit up Toronto, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Dallas—and this very memorable and hilarious one in Ireland:

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Conan's The First U.S. Late Night Host To Film In Cuba In Over 50 Years