John Oliver is causing all the drama!
If that sounds bizarre — because John Oliver is usually all things hilarious — don’t worry, you are absolutely correct, but you did read that right. Oliver has made his acting debut as a guest role on General Hospital. Apparently, it has been the Last Week Tonight host’s lifelong dream to have a role on any soap opera.
Well, Oliver just nabbed his dream job, complete with dramatic closeups, kooky dialogue, and one dramatic slap!
In an interview with TV Insider, executive producer Frank Valentini revealed Oliver’s casting was a priority after learning of the talk show host’s dream, “My reaction was, ‘Let’s go for it.”
Valentini went on to elaborate about the process of his casting after seeing Oliver’s request to be a part of the show, “When I watched it, I said, ‘Oh, we gotta go for this,’ and everybody was very excited. The timing worked out perfectly because we needed somebody to be Z, the head of the WSB.”
So, here’s everything to know about Oliver’s mysterious character.
Who does John Oliver play on General Hospital?
Oliver plays Z, a World Security Bureau (WSB) director. Badass! The WSB is a shadowy spy agency that has popped up in General Hospital storylines since 1980.
In an official press release from ABC, Oliver said, “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.”
Many fans are loving Oliver’s over-the-top performance. One fan wrote on X, “John Oliver is doing a fantastic job as “Z” bringing him on as the head of the WSB was a brilliant idea. The role suits him #GH”
Oliver got even more social media commentary on July 6 thanks to a viral moment in which his character gets slapped by Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright), an iconic character known for bringing the fire on GH.
This is what we call acting! Bravo, John.
How many episodes of General Hospital will John Oliver be in?
Oliver’s character will receive a dramatic 3-episode long storyline. Oliver’s episodes aired July 2, July 3, and July 6. However, based on the positive fan reaction, we can’t help but think he might be back.
How to watch General Hospital?
New episodes of General Hospital air every weekday on ABC at 3 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes are usually available to stream on Hulu the following day.
