Beginning Tuesday, August 11, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” host John Oliver will begin a three-episode arc on the Peacock-exclusive series, “Days of our Lives.” Though first announced in June, until now not much was known about Oliver’s role on the daytime drama beyond his sharing scenes opposite series star Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera).
On Monday, the soap opera announced that Oliver will portray Devlin St. John, Salem’s Chief Water Inspector, who opens an investigation into the local water supply and discusses the matter with Mayor Pauline Price (Jackée Harry) and the DiMera heir, among others. In a photo released by the show, Oliver can be seen pouring a glass of water for himself in the DiMera mansion while a beleaguered EJ looks on.
Chris Haston/Corday Productions
“He is the water commissioner and coming to her with some scheme,” said Jackée Harry in an interview with TV Insider, previewing Oliver’s time on the show, with additional appearances in episodes airing on Wednesday, August 12 and Friday, August 14. “He is trying to get one over on the city of Salem and she is not having it. And then he’s onto the next victim.”
“I was first up with him, so I was ready,” continued Harry, talking about her introduction to the comedian. “I looked up and saw him — and we were all here at 6:30, 7 in the morning — and he was lovely, and he was prepared. He’s a very smart man. I do improvisational and so does he, which was good.”
In July, Oliver appeared on “General Hospital” for another three-episode arc following his plea to the five daytime soap operas, requesting they consider him for a role on either of their shows in light of his being admittedly “jealous” of ESPN sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, who turned a once-thought-to-be one-off role as mobster enforcer Brick into a decade-long recurring gig on the ABC daytime drama series.
“It is amazing to me that for nearly a decade Stephen A. Smith has been a recurring character on ‘General Hospital’ and we barely heard anything about it,” said Oliver at the time during a broadcast of his weekly late-night talk show, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” He added, “I’m guessing that’s because people who know Stephen A. Smith aren’t watching soap operas, and people who watch soap operas don’t know who Stephen A. Smith is.”
After showing a clip of Smith as his Brick character in a hospital scene, preparing to execute a murderous nurse, Oliver said, “I am jealous,” which led him to reveal his love for the genre and a desire to act on one or more of the shows, stating, “I’m officially offering myself to you. Write me a role, and I’ll be on your set so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
During an episode of his late night series last month, Oliver talked about his taping at “Days of our Lives,” saying, “It’s been home to some of the most renowned soap opera actors like Deedra Hall, Susan Seforth Hayes, and John Aniston of the Anistons. It’s also featured guest appearances from legends like Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, and now me. The only other time you’d hear my name alongside those two would be if someone were trying to answer the question, ‘Name three celebrities you could reasonably guess were born in the 1920s.'”
“When John Oliver said, ‘Call me soaps, I’m available and willing to travel. I want to be a part of that world,’ our world, we had to heed the call!” said “Days of our Lives” executive producer Ken Corday.
Check out a promo featuring Oliver below.
