John Oliver asked daytime television for drama, and two of the genre’s biggest soaps answered.
The Last Week Tonight host has landed guest roles on both General Hospital and Days of Our Lives after publicly pitching himself for a soap opera part earlier this year.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Oliver will appear in a three-episode General Hospital arc airing July 2, 3 and 6.
Oliver had said he wanted a proper soap role, not a quick walk-on as himself, and asked for a fictional character with a ridiculous name, a dramatic storyline and a close-up worthy of the genre.
Oliver’s General Hospital Role Is More Than a Walk-On
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Oliver’s General Hospital appearance is being described as a significant guest role, not a background cameo. The ABC soap has not revealed his character’s name or full storyline, but the show said he plays an integral part in the Port Charles story.
People reported that executive producer Frank Valentini praised Oliver as prepared, professional, funny and kind on set. Oliver responded in his usual self-deprecating style, calling the experience “a true honor” and joking that he was happy to be a “small stain” on the show’s history.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Oliver has already finished shooting the episodes. General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC and streams on Hulu.
The Casting Started With a Last Week Tonight Bit
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The whole crossover began on the March 8 episode of Last Week Tonight, when Oliver said he wanted a real soap role after learning about ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith appearing on General Hospital as Brick. Reuters reported that Oliver said he was jealous of Smith, who has played the mob-connected character for years.
Oliver told soap producers he was officially offering himself up and said he did not want to play himself. He asked for a character, a ridiculous name and a plot involving “murder, or slapping, or being slapped, or being someone’s long-lost something,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
Days of Our Lives Also Said Yes
Oliver’s soap run is not ending in Port Charles. During the June 28 episode of Last Week Tonight, he revealed that he had also taped scenes for Days of Our Lives.
Michael Fairman TV reported that Oliver’s Days of Our Lives episodes are scheduled to stream on Peacock on August 11, 12 and 14. Executive producer Ken Corday said the show had to “heed the call” after Oliver told soaps he was available and wanted to be part of their world.
Oliver said on Last Week Tonight that joining Days was a major honor, naming Deidre Hall, Susan Seaforth Hayes and the late John Aniston among the performers tied to the show’s long history.
Oliver Gets Two Soap Worlds in One Summer
The two bookings put Oliver into two different daytime institutions in the same summer. General Hospital gives him Port Charles first, with three episodes airing in early July, while Days of Our Lives sends him to Salem in August.
The roles also bring him into a long soap tradition of guest appearances from unexpected public figures. Reuters noted that General Hospital has previously featured unconventional guests, including Rick Springfield and Elizabeth Taylor.