John Oliver's (49) dream of appearing in a soap opera is becoming reality. On Thursday, July 2, 2026, his guest appearance in the long-running TV show "General Hospital" will begin. The comedian revealed this on Sunday in the new episode of his late-night show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver". In total, he will be seen in three episodes of the hospital series.
In March of this year, John Oliver had focused on daily soaps in his talk show. He mentioned in that particular episode that moderator Stephen A. Smith (58), who is primarily known for sports broadcasting, regularly appears on "General Hospital".
"Write me a role"
Oliver then expressed his desire to follow his colleague's lead. "To all the soap operas out there, I want to say this: I am hereby officially offering myself to you. Write me a role, and I will be on your set so fast it will make your head spin", he said.
However, he didn't want to play himself, the talk show host added. He wanted to "do something exciting", he said. He wanted to "commit a murder" on camera, slap someone, or get slapped himself.
A few weeks after John Oliver's public appeal, "General Hospital" responded. The British-born host would be welcome anytime in the fictional town of Port Charles, where the series is set, the soap's creators announced via Instagram.
This is what John Oliver looks like in "General Hospital"
Now the US network ABC has released the first image of John Oliver in "General Hospital". The image, which has since been circulating on social media, suggests that the comedian is indeed not playing himself.
In the photo, John Oliver stares sternly into the camera. Next to him are officers from a special operations unit. His normally graying hair is dyed black.
"When John Oliver publicly threw down the gauntlet and said he wanted to appear in a soap opera, we didn't hesitate for a second", "General Hospital" producer Frank Valentini said according to media reports in a statement. "He was exactly what you could only hope for", Valentini said about the guest star. Namely, "well-prepared, professional, funny, and genuinely kind to everyone on set. He plays a central role in the storyline, and I can't wait for fans to see who he crosses paths with in Port Charles".
"'General Hospital' was exactly what I had hoped for", John Oliver stated for the record. "It is a great honor for me to be a small part of the history of this legendary series", he announced.
The history of "General Hospital" spans over 60 years. The series has been running in the US since 1963. With over 15,000 episodes, the hospital series is the longest-running American soap opera still on air.
