General Hospital
BREAKING NEWS: John Oliver Is Storming Daytime, Heading to Both GH and DAYS
One of late night’s sharpest voices is crashing daytime, and not on a single soap. John Oliver’s surprise move has fans doing a double take.
JOHN OLIVER LANDS A BIG GUEST ROLE ACROSS GH AND DAYS
TL;DR: Emmy-winning comedian John Oliver is heading to daytime in a significant guest role, turning up on both General Hospital and Days of Our Lives this summer.
John Oliver’s Big Port Charles Debut
Get ready to do a double take, daytime fans, because one of late night’s sharpest voices is turning up where you least expect him. John Oliver, the Emmy-winning comedian behind HBO’s Last Week Tonight, has revealed that he is heading to daytime, and not to a single soap. On the June 28 episode of his show, Oliver dropped the news that he will appear on General Hospital next week, and teased that he has already taped a full week of episodes on Days of Our Lives as well.
For a comedian who has been very loud about his love of soaps, this is a dream come true. And for fans, it is the kind of surprise crossover that makes summer daytime so much fun. A late night host famous for skewering the news, now stepping into the high-stakes world of soap intrigue, is a pairing nobody saw coming.
According to an ABC press release, Oliver has been cast in a significant guest role on GH. His episodes are slated to air across early July, so Port Charles viewers will not have to wait long to see what he is up to.
Oliver, ever the showman, kept the juicy details under wraps on his program. He declined to spoil the story but did share a still from his upcoming appearance, joking that the image showed him surrounded by men with guns, his hair dipped in an inkwell, and his face caught mid acting. The man knows how to sell a tease. You can keep up with all the latest out of Port Charles through ongoing coverage of the show.
Who do you think John Oliver crosses paths with in Port Charles? Send your wildest theories to amber@soapoperamagazine.com. We want to hear every guess.
A Salem Trip Is Coming Too
Port Charles is only half the story. Oliver confirmed he has also filmed a stint in Salem, with his DAYS appearances set to land later this summer. That gives fans of both soaps a reason to keep him firmly on their radar.
Two shows, one very enthusiastic guest star. It is a casting coup that spreads the love across the daytime landscape, and it gives two different fan bases something to buzz about all season long.
How John Oliver Talked His Way Into Daytime
This whole adventure was set in motion months ago. On the March 8 episode of his show, Oliver ran a segment about sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and his decade-long GH run as Brick, the surveillance expert who works for Sonny Corinthos. Maurice Benard plays Sonny on the canvas.
After running through some of the more outlandish things Smith has gotten to do in the role, Oliver dropped the act and admitted the truth. He confessed that he was jealous, citing a genuine love of soaps, and then made an open offer to every show out there: write him a role, and he would be on set faster than they could blink.
The Cast and Crew Are Already Fans
The folks behind GH could not be happier with how it played out. In a statement, executive producer Frank Valentini praised Oliver for throwing down the gauntlet publicly, then showing up prepared, professional, funny, and kind to everyone on set. Valentini said Oliver plays an integral character and teased that he cannot wait for fans to see who the comedian crosses paths with in Port Charles.
Oliver, for his part, was equally gracious. He called the experience everything he had hoped for and said it was an honor to become a small part of the history of such an illustrious show. Humble and hilarious, it seems he was the perfect daytime recruit. For John Oliver, a long-running soap dream is finally playing out on screen, and fans will not want to miss a single minute.
Are you tuning in for his Port Charles debut, his Salem visit, or both? Scroll down and let us know in the comments.
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