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John Oliver Debuts Shocking New Look for General Hospital Guest Role

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Emmys 2025: What John Oliver Said That Got Bleeped During Acceptance Speech

John Oliver is ready for his close-up.

The Last Week Tonight host is about to make his soap opera acting debut on not one iconic TV series, but two famed daytime dramas.

"You may remember back in March, we discovered that Stephen A. Smith has been politely playing the role of Brick on General Hospital for the last 10 years, which filled me with, in equal measure, immense confusion and scorching hot jealousy," Oliver recounted during the June 28 episode of his weekly HBO talk show. "So, I did the only thing any sane person would do in that situation: I offered myself to any soap opera that would create a role for me."

For fans who didn't catch Oliver's public plea earlier this year, he recapped, "I wanted to play a character with a ridiculous name, I wanted a juicy storyline like murder or slapping, and I wanted a dramatic close-up of my face."

And now, his dream has officially come true.

The comedian revealed a first look at his upcoming appearance on General Hospital, including a shocking hair transformation for the mystery role.

"Yes, that is me, surrounded by men with guns, and yes, my hair has been dipped in an ink well," Oliver joked in the preview of his jet-black hair, "and if you cannot tell from my face there, I’m acting really hard. I’m acting my hardest. In fact, I don’t want to brag, but they did say that of any guest star they’ve ever had. I used the most takes."

While details surrounding Oliver's three-episode character arc are being kept under wraps until his July 2 debut, General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini teased what the 49-year-old was really like to work with.

"He was everything you’d hope he’d be: Prepared, professional, funny and genuinely kind to everyone on set," Valentini said in a June 29 statement. "He plays an integral character in the story, and I can’t wait for fans to see who he crosses paths with in Port Charles."

HBO/Disney/Chris Bartolucci

Oliver is more than ready for his moment, adding, "General Hospital was everything I hoped it would be. It’s a true honor to be a small stain on the history of this illustrious show."

But ABC wasn't the only network who happily answered Oliver's soap opera plea, as the U.K. native revealed he also landed a three-episode storyline on Peacock's Days of Our Lives—complete with an even more hilarious makeover.

After revealing a pic of himself in character wearing a voluminous banged wig, the funny man joked, "What I love most about that photo is that even though you can only see the back of the other actor’s neck, you can tell how much I visually don’t belong anywhere near him. His back is an L.A. 10, and my front is a Middle-earth three."

John Oliver announced he'll appear on #daysofourLives this August after campaigning for a soap role — and he made it to Salem before Ryan Gosling. #DAYS https://t.co/48XAhlXQsX

— The Soap Scene (@thesoapscene) June 29, 2026

Jokes aside, Oliver confessed he "genuinely cannot wait for everyone to see what these two soaps have done" to him.

"I am so grateful that they played along with us," he concluded. "Does this look like a desperate man to you? Not to me, it doesn’t. That’s the face of a man living his f--king dream."

Catch Oliver on General Hospital July 2, 3 and 6 on ABC and on Days of Our Lives Aug. 11, 12 and 14 on Peacock.

In the meantime, keep reading for stars who surprisingly got their starts on soap operas.

P. Lehman/Barcroft Media via Getty Images/NBC

Brad Pitt

Ah yes, one of the world's biggest movie stars landed his first speaking role on Another World. It was for only two episodes that he played a young basketball player. Everyone has to start somewhere and then end up an Academy Award winner.

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images; ABC

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks appeared only in one scene of All My Children as none other than a waitress that Josh Duhamel's character is flirting with. The episode aired in 1999, two years before Banks starred in cult star-studded classic Wet Hot American Summer. 

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is Hollywood gold, but few know he was on sitcoms like Roseanne and Growing Pains before his Titanic fame. He even made an appearance in soap opera Santa Barbara in a brief flashback sequence in 1990.

Jacopo Raule/Getty Images/Erik Hein/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Demi Moore

Before becoming a screen icon, Demi Moore did her her time (1982-83, to be exact) on General Hospital. She played Jackie Templeton, an investigative reporter from New York City trying to track down her missing sister.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tory Burch/CBS via Getty Images

Julianne Moore

The Academy Award winner also landed a Daytime Emmy Award in 1988 for her portrayal of long-lost half-sisters Frannie and Sabrina Hughes on As The World Turns.

Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images/Ann Limongello/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Kelly Ripa

The Live With Kelly and Ryan host played Hayley Vaughan on All My Children from 1990 to 2002. It was here that she met her real husband, Mark Consuelos—who also played her husband on the series

Toni Anne Barson/WireImage; Andrew Eccles/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Mark Consuelos

Prior to being a famed baddie mob boss on Riverdale, Mark Consuelos got his first big break on All My Children in 1995.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

John Stamos

Prior to being Uncle Jesse on Full House, heartthrob John Stamos played teen rocker Blackie Parrish on General Hospital. 

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for GLAAD/Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Josh Duhamel

 The Jupiter's Legacy star started out in soaps with the role of Leo du Pres on All My Children; his character eventually perished in a freak waterfall accident.

JC Olivera/Getty Images/Cliff Lipson/CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Eva Longoria

There's nothing like playing a crazy wife who was put away in a mental hospital after trying to kill her lover's first wife to kick off a career. At least, that's how Eva Longoria made it happen on The Young and the Restless from 2001 to 2003. 

\James Gourley/Getty Images; NBC

Lindsay Lohan

Before capturing hearts with Parent Trap, a young Lindsay Lohan played the adorable Alli Fowler on Another World from 1996 to 1997. 

Peter KramerNBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Steve Fenn/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Ryan Phillipe

A then-18 year old Ryan Phillipe's role on One Life to Live as Billy Douglas made history as the first only gay teenager on daytime TV. 

Amanda Edwards/Getty Images/CBS

Hayden Panettiere

From 1996 to 2001, the Nashville star played the first incarnation of Guiding Light's Lizzie Spaulding. 

Jim Spellman/Getty Images; Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon was the leading actress on A World Apart from 1970 to 1971, with a whopping 325 episodes total—and Sarandon appeared in every single one as main character Patrice Kahlman. 

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Champagne Collet; Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images

Justin Hartley

Justin Hartley is heartbreaker actor Kevin Pearson in This Is Us and it seems art does imitate life: Hartley first got his start on Passions before wooing audiences in The Young and the Restless.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Greg Zabilski/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Chrishell Strause

The former Mrs. Justin Hartley is now a real estate agent on Selling Sunset, but before earning her realtor license, Chrishell Strause sold every line on The Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless.

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Southern Star Group

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts may be best known for thriller Mulholland Drive yet the talented star first started on Home and Away

Tommaso Boddi/FilmMagic; Virginia Sherwood /Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan proved his talent on critically-acclaimed drama The Wire before landing a coveted role on All My Children as teen Reggie Montgomery. Chadwick Boseman originally was cast as Reggie but famously left following claims of perpetuating a stereotype. Jordan parted ways with AMC in 2006 and went on to star in Parenthood before captivating audiences with turns in Black Panther and Creed.

Ann Limongello/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images/Jason Mendez/Getty Images

Nathan Fillion

You fell in love with him as Castle's sexy crime-solving mystery writer Richard Castle, but the fan-fave Canadian first made his name as favorite son Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live from 1994 to 1997. 

Cindy Ord/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; ABC

Christian Slater

The Dr. Death star was a high schooler with a secret in Ryan's Hope for 20 episodes in 1985.

Jerod Harris/Getty Images/Ann Limongello/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Marcia Cross

Before she was a Desperate Housewife, before she was Linda on Everwood, heck, before she was eccentric Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place, the redhead played a feisty archeologist named Katheryn "Kate" Sanders who came between Cord and Tina on One Life to Live from 1986 to 1987.

Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images/Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Laurence Fishburne

Morpheus began as a teenager with a three-year stint on One Life to Live, playing the role of Joshua Hall.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Heather Locklear

The Melrose Place star first captivated audiences as Sammy Jo Dean in Dynasty from 1981 to 1989. 

Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images/Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Tommy Lee Jones

Before he was married to a Coal Miner's Daughter or schooling aliens with Will Smith in Men in Black, the Harvard-educated actor played sneaky Dr. Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images; NBC

Taye Diggs

Taye Diggs already had found Broadway fame with Rent and Chicago but he made his TV debut with Guiding Light in 1997. 

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images; Ann Limongello /Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Lacey Chabert

Pre-Mean Girls, Lacey Chabert was a famed child star in Party of Five and soap opera All My Children.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis; Yolanda Perez/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Colin Egglesfield

He may have wooed both Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin in Something Borrowed, but Colin Egglesfield was well-known to soap opera fans long before the hit 2011 romantic comedy. Egglesfield played Joshua Madden in All My Children from 2005 to 2009.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Hallmark Channel/Ann Limongello /Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Sarah Michelle Gellar

During her time at All My Children, Sarah Michelle Gellar played Erica Kane's long-lost daughter, Kendall Hart. Now, Kendall had anger issues because she was the product of rape and pissed that her mom left her, so she was all about vengeance—locking her little sister in a crypt and trying to seduce her stepfather. In 1995, Gellar left along—with her Daytime Emmy.

David Livingston/WireImage; NBC

Morgan Freeman

The iconic film star began his career in TV, with soap operas Ryan's Hope and Another World. 

Michael Kovac/WireImage; NBC

Ted Danson

Mr. Mayor found his Good Place on soap operas! Ted Danson wowed on Somerset and The Doctors for years. 

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