John Oliver Got His Soap Dream Doubled: He’s Joining Days of Our Lives and General Hospital

Back in March, John Oliver jokingly begged daytime soaps to cast him after discovering that Stephen A. Smith had quietly spent the last decade playing Brick on General Hospital. His wishlist wasn’t exactly modest. He wanted a ridiculous character name, a juicy storyline involving something like murder or a slap, and, above all else, a dramatic soap opera close-up.

A few months later, he got even more than he bargained for.

During Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver announced that not one, but two daytime dramas answered the call. He has already filmed a week of episodes for Days of Our Lives, and next week he’ll make his debut on General Hospital.

“I’m so very glad they actually did,” Oliver said after joking about a tabloid report claiming he had turned down an emotional role on General Hospital. “Because it means that I now get to announce that I will also be appearing in General Hospital this summer.”

Port Charles Comes Calling

Oliver couldn’t resist poking fun at the rumor that he wasn’t interested in a serious role, insisting that if General Hospital had offered him the chance to spend time in Port Charles alongside the Corinthos family, Luke and Laura’s legacy, and yes, Brick, he would have accepted immediately.

As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. His General Hospital episodes begin Thursday, July 2, continue on Friday, July 3, and conclude Monday, July 6.

While he stopped short of revealing who he’s playing, Oliver did unveil the first photo of his character, showing himself flanked by armed men with dramatically darkened hair. Describing the image, he joked that his “hair has been dipped in an inkwell” and proudly declared that he was “acting really hard.”

Then came perhaps his favorite behind-the-scenes statistic. “I don’t want to brag,” he laughed, “but they did say that of any guest star they’ve ever had, I used the most takes.”

…and so did Salem

Oliver also revealed that he’d already taped scenes for Days of Our Lives, where he’ll appear on August 11, 12, and 14.

Never one to pass up a self-deprecating joke, he shared a first-look photo from Salem before comparing himself to everything from “Elvis reincarnated as his accountant” to “Rachel Maddow after witnessing a murder.”

Still, it was clear the comedy was coming from a place of genuine excitement. After months of campaigning for a soap role, Oliver ended the segment by holding up the General Hospital promotional image and telling viewers, “Does this look like a desperate man to you? Not to me, it doesn’t. That’s the face of a man living his… dream.”

Stay Tuned to The Soap Scene

Watch for more information on John Oliver’s surprising roles on both shows at The Soap Scene — and be sure to get the up-to-the-minute news, spoilers, and more on our social accounts on Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, and BlueSky.