Steve Bing funded actors' Cuba research trip

August 05, 2009 The three actors and Bing visited Cuba at the same time Benicio Del Toro was in Havana to receive a local film group's award for his portrayal of Argentine revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Steven Soderbergh's 2008 biopic "Che." Press reports focused primarily on Del Toro's award, and initially it was unclear whether the actors' stated purpose of a research mission was anything more than a chance at going to the hard-to-visit isle. There has been a steady flow of celebs between Hollywood and Havana over the years, despite U.S. government limits on nonbusiness travel to Cuba. A receptionist at his Shangri-La Entertainment production company Wednesday denied ever hearing of Bing and directed press inquiries to Paul Bloch of Rogers & Cowan, Bing's longtime publicist.

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