John Oliver’s soap opera dreams didn’t just come true. They came true twice.
After a report earlier this month that the Last Week Tonight host had started taping a role on Days of Our Lives, Oliver confirmed the news on Sunday night’s show—and revealed that he’ll also be appearing on General Hospital later this week.
The whole saga dates back to March, when Oliver closed a Last Week Tonight episode with a tribute to daytime soaps, inspired in part by his discovery that Stephen A. Smith has been playing Brick on General Hospital since 2016. That revelation, Oliver said Sunday, filled him with “both immense confusion and scorching hot jealousy.”
So Oliver made his own pitch to the soap world: write him a role, and he’d show up. He had a few conditions. He didn’t want to play himself, he wanted a character with a ridiculous name, he wanted something “juicy” like murder or slapping, and he wanted a dramatic close-up of his face.
Apparently, the soaps listened.
Oliver said Sunday that he has in fact taped a week of episodes on Days of Our Lives, calling it “a huge honor” to join the long-running soap.
But Days wasn’t the only show to answer the call.
Oliver also announced that he’ll appear on General Hospital, the very soap whose Stephen A. Smith connection kicked off his soap envy in the first place.
“What is funnier than being in one soap opera?” Oliver asked. “Being in two.”
He also gave viewers a preview of both appearances. In a still from General Hospital, Oliver was seen surrounded by men with guns, his hair looking like it was “dipped in an inkwell.” Of his Days look (below), he offered several self-roasts, including “Elvis reincarnated into his accountant,” “Rachel Maddow after witnessing a murder,” and “Rogaine’s worst-case scenario.”
Oliver also took a moment to swat away the idea that any of this was some sort of career fallback plan.
“Soap acting is not my plan B,” he said. “My actual plan B is, obviously, being a Mr. Bean impersonator for the strangest little children’s birthday parties.”
Instead, Oliver framed the dual soap bookings as exactly what they appear to be: a bit that somehow became real.
“I’m so grateful they played along with us,” he said.
As for the final verdict, Oliver put it best while looking at his Days of Our Lives photo: “That’s the face of a man living his f*cking dream.”
Oliver’s General Hospital episodes will air July 2, 3, and 6 on ABC, followed by his Days of Our Lives episodes August 11, 12, and 14 on Peacock.
Watch ABC’s promo for Oliver’s General Hospital debut below:
