John Oliver Lands Guest-Starring Part On 'General Hospital' And 'Days Of Our Lives' After Begging For 'Juicy' Soap Role—And Fans Are Pumped

What's comedian and late-night host John Oliver's next big project? Something incisively and hilariously political like his HBO show Last Week Tonight, right?

Wrong! It's soap operas. Yes, those soap operas, the afternoon melodramas that have been running every weekday for decades and decades.

Back in March, Oliver jokingly lobbied on-air for a "juicy" role on America's longest-running soap General Hospital, and the show's network ABC took him so seriously they offered him a role.

And, not to be outdone, so did America's second longest-running soap Days of Our Lives, which airs on Peacock. Oliver announced his new soap career in a hilarious segment on his show.

Oliver will appear on General Hospital on July 2, 3 and 6, and then appear on Days of Our Lives on August 11, 12 and 14.

So how the heck has an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning host of a political comedy show ended up working in soaps?

Well, it all began back in March when Oliver delivered a hilarious rant on-air after learning that longtime ESPN host Stephen A. Smith has been moonlighting for the past decade as "Brick," the right-hand man to mob boss Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital.

Oliver admitted that he was "jealous" of Smith's "out-of-nowhere" acting career, and so he made a proposal to the soap opera industry.

He assured the producers of American soaps that he will "give my all" to a role so long as it fulfills a few qualifications.

As he explained this past week:

“To be clear: soap opera-acting is not my Plan B.:

"I simply offered my hypothetical acting abilities to any soap that would meet my terms, which were: 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."

"Well, I’m thrilled to announce that I have an update.”

Both soaps met all his demands, and he's hitting the afternoon airwaves! General Hospital has already released a teaser of Oliver's appearance—which does include that dramatic facial close-up.

In a press release, General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini said:

“When John Oliver publicly threw down the gauntlet and said he wanted to appear on a soap, we didn't hesitate for a second..."

"He was everything you’d hope he’d be: prepared, professional, funny and genuinely kind to everyone on set."

"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.”

Similarly, Days of Our Lives EP Ken Corday said he and his team felt they had no choice but to "heed the call" for Oliver to appear in soaps.

On social media, people found Oliver's new foray into soaps equal parts exciting and absurdly hilarious.

And many General Hospital devotees theorized Oliver will play the mysterious and unseen intelligence officer Z who's long been referenced on the show.

As for Oliver's reaction to his soon-to-air work on General Hospital, he was characteristically self-deprecating:

“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."

Here's hoping his soap career is as long as Smith's!