Conan O’Brien had been very, very busy as soon as he landed in Manila. The comedy legend was first spotted roaming around Bonifacio Global City, where fans first began trailing him for photos. Since then, it’s been confirmed that O’Brien is here shooting for the upcoming season of his travel show, Conan O’Brien Must Go, which will hopefully spotlight the many different spots around the capital.
For die-hard Team Coco fans, O’Brien’s travels have been a joy to follow, either through his Instagram dispatches or through the field journal-style doodles of his longtime writer, José Arroyo. As the crew wraps up its first week shooting in Manila, we took it upon ourselves to document all the different places O’Brien’s definitely been spotted at, so far.
Started Shooting in Rizal Park
On his first day in Manila, O’Brien wasted no time and began filming right away in Rizal Park. Fans quickly gathered around the comedian, many shyly approaching in hopes of snapping a selfie or getting an autograph. O’Brien warmly obliged, taking the time to pose for photos and chat with each of them. “Mabuhay, Philippines!” O’Brien wrote in an Instagram post. “Just landed to shoot [Conan O’Brien Must Go] and I’ve already met so many amazing people.”
Ate Halo-Halo in Quiapo
As documented by Arroyo, O’Brien was filming scenes outside the Church of the Black Nazarene. The day ended on a high note with the comedian trying out halo-halo (“like a true ‘Manilenyo,’” wrote Arroyo).
Swam in Candy in Quezon City
O’Brien and Charles de Guia, a longtime fan and mechanical engineer working at his uncle’s candy company Philip Candies, first spoke on a podcast episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. After de Guia mentioned that the candy company had seen better days, it looks as if O’Brien took his words to heart and intentionally shot a scene of his travel show at Philip Candies. “Visited my fan Charles’ candy factory and lost my f-ing mind,” wrote O’Brien in an Instagram post, paired with a photo of the comedian swimming in a sea of candy.
The collaboration has since resulted in a giant billboard along EDSA-Guadalupe that features O’Brien in a cowboy hat, leopard print loincloth, and photoshopped six-pack abs, promoting Philip Candies’ Tarzan and Texas Bubble Gums. “We love, gum, pardner!” The billboard’s caption says.
Contemplated Balut in Intramuros
Our favorite tall redhead was spotted filming around Intramuros in locations such as Fort Santiago, Casa Manila, and Batala Café. According to Arroyo, the comedian spent the day riding a bamboo bike around the fort, wondering whether he should try balut from a vendor, and channeling the spirit of General Douglas MacArthur in a photo where O’Brien sported an army hat, aviator shades, and a wooden pipe.
“Everywhere we filmed, Conan’s fans showed up to say hi,” wrote Arroyo. “‘Thank you’ in Tagalog is ‘salamat,’ and I’m very salamat-ful for everyone we met.”
Shot on the ‘Sanggang-Dikit FR’ Set with Dennis Trillo & Jennylyn Mercado
I never thought I’d see Conan O’Brien in a teleserye, but here we are. In a Facebook post by Dennis Trillo, O’Brien was spotted with Trillo and wife, Jennylyn Mercado, on the set of action series Sanggang-Dikit FR, where the celebrity couple play cops Tonyo Conde and Bobby Enriquez, respectively.
