After more than 50 years, an American TV show host was given the green light to film in Cuba.
Conan O'Brien, host of TBS show "Conan," made history by filming an episode for his show last weekend, which is probably why the former "Saturday Night Live" writer was absent during the "SNL40" special shown Sunday night.
"O'Brien spent Presidents Day weekend in Cuba, filming bits to be aired on an upcoming episode of 'Conan,'" The Los Angeles Times reported. "The trip is part of the improved relations with the island nation located just 110 miles south of the Florida coast."
"Last December, President Obama announced a restoration of international relations between the two countries, opening up travel for the first time in decades," the publication added.
A statement from the show revealed that O'Brien spent "multiple days taking in the sights, sounds and culture of the country. The trip gives the 'Conan' audience a rare glimpse into the daily life of a country not often seen by American viewers," CNN noted.
In a recent update, the flame-haired funnyman tweeted a snap of himself in "the Alec-Guiness-in-Our-Man-In-Havana look he adopted during his weekend jaunt to Cuba," according to Deadline. The photo was accompanied by this message:
"I just spent the last four days shooting my show all around the city of Havana. I made countless friends and had one of the best experiences of my life. Many laughs, but that could also be the rum. Watch #ConanCUBA March 4th."
The site also said that the 51-year-old and a small crew "flew to Havana Thursday and have spent the weekend filming for his TBS late-night show's March 4 episode."
Regarding the timing of his Cuba road trip, Deadline reported that the TV show host does not film his episodes during President's day, which gave him an opportunity to go to Cuba and finally put to action what he's been planning and talking about for the past few months.
The last time a U.S. talk show was filmed in Cuba was in February 1959, which was bout 3 years before the embargo started.
"The last host to film on the island was Jack Paar, who interviewed Fidel Castro for the Tonight Show in 1959, shortly after the Cuban revolution and was widely criticized for giving the communist leader a platform," Mashable said. "Ed Sullivan interviewed Castro the month before."
Want to scope out the funnyman's Cuban adventure? Watch his show on March 4 at 11 p.m. EST.
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