After a Public Meltdown Over Stephen A. Smith’s Acting Career, John Oliver Is Finally Invading the Sets of General Hospital and Days of Our Lives
Mission accomplished.
John Oliver is officially invading daytime TV, and it’s about to get gloriously weird. According to Us Weekly, the Last Week Tonight host just revealed he’s landed roles on both General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, fulfilling a bizarre quest that started with a very public feud over Stephen A. Smith’s secret soap opera career.
Oliver dropped the news on his HBO show, confirming he’d already filmed a week’s worth of episodes for Days of Our Lives and would appear in three General Hospital episodes. Oliver said, “I wanted to play a character with a ridiculous name, I wanted a juicy story line like murder or slapping, and I wanted a dramatic close-up of my face,” he said.
The whole thing kicked off in March when Oliver discovered that ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had been playing a recurring character named Brick on General Hospital for the past decade. The revelation sent Oliver into a spiral of what he called “scorching-hot jealousy.” But instead of just stewing in envy, Oliver decided to one-up Smith by publicly demanding a role of his own.
Somehow, it worked
General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini rolled out the red carpet. “When John Oliver publicly threw down the gauntlet and said he wanted to appear on a soap, we didn’t hesitate for a second,” Valentini told Variety. “He was everything you’d hope he’d be: prepared, professional, funny, and genuinely kind to everyone on set.”
That’s high praise for someone whose primary acting experience is playing an exaggerated version of himself on Last Week Tonight. Then again, soaps have a long history of embracing guest stars from outside the acting world, from Mary Poppins’ star Dick Van Dyke to Hollywood legend Betty White. Oliver is just the latest in a long line of celebrities who’ve taken a detour into melodrama.
Oliver’s General Hospital stint will see him play an “integral character in the story,” according to Valentini, which means he’s not just popping in for a quick cameo. Fans can expect to see him cross paths with the residents of Port Charles, the fictional New York town where the show has been set since 1963.
And if his demands are any indication, his character might be involved in something suitably over-the-top – a murder, a slap, or at the very least, a name so ridiculous it’ll make you do a double-take. “It’s a true honor to be a small stain on the history of this illustrious show,” he joked.
This is peak Oliver content
Meanwhile, Days of Our Lives is getting its own dose of the comedian’s antics. “It’s been home to some of the most renowned soap opera actors like Deidre Hall, Susan Seaforth Hayes, and John Aniston,” Oliver said.
The show, which premiered in 1965 and moved to Peacock in 2022, is set in the fictional town of Salem, Illinois, and has spent nearly six decades delivering the kind of drama that makes you question whether you’re watching a soap or a fever dream. Oliver’s addition to the cast is just the latest twist in a show that’s never been afraid to take risks.
For Oliver, this isn’t just a vanity project
It’s a full-circle moment for a comedian who’s spent years dissecting the absurdities of American culture. Last Week Tonight has built its reputation on deep dives into niche topics, from municipal broadband to the coal industry, so it’s only fitting that Oliver would eventually turn his satirical lens on the world of daytime TV.
His approach to the roles feels very on-brand: he’s not just showing up to phone it in. He’s demanding the full soap opera experience, complete with a name that sounds like it was generated by a mad libs game and a storyline that’ll leave viewers either laughing or screaming at their screens.
The crossover between late-night comedy and daytime drama is a match made in television heaven. General Hospital and Days of Our Lives are two of the longest-running scripted shows in American history, with General Hospital holding the record for the longest-running American soap opera currently in production. According to PEOPLE, the show has won 18 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Daytime Drama and continues to draw loyal viewers.
Days of Our Lives, meanwhile, has been a staple of NBC and later Peacock, surviving network changes and evolving viewer habits. Both shows have a knack for reinvention, whether it’s through wild storylines or unexpected guest stars.
Oliver’s foray into soaps highlights the enduring appeal of the genre
Despite the rise of prestige TV and streaming binges, daytime dramas remain a cultural touchstone, offering a mix of escapism, camp, and surprisingly sharp storytelling. They’re the kind of shows where you can tune in one day to find a character faking their own death and the next to see them return as a long-lost twin. And now, thanks to Oliver, there’s a new layer of meta-humor to enjoy.
Oliver’s General Hospital episodes will air on July 2, 3, and 6, with his Days of Our Lives appearances following on August 11, 12, and 14. And if you’re wondering whether this is the start of a new career for Oliver, don’t hold your breath. “To be clear: Soap opera acting is not my Plan B,” he clarified on his show. Then again, he also said he was just “offering his hypothetical acting abilities,” and look where that got him. For now, it’s safe to say that daytime TV will never be the same.
(Featured image: HBO Entertainment, Avalon Television, Partially Important Productions, Sixteen String Jack Productions, Bochard Entertainment)
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