‘Days of Our Lives’ EP on Bringing John Oliver’s Dream Soap Opera Role to Life: ‘He Wanted to Be Slapped’ — SkimNews
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- Ken Corday, executive producer of "Days of Our Lives," assembled creatives the morning after John Oliver publicly declared his desire to star in a soap opera on a March episode of "Last Week Tonight," and ensured the material wasn't just "a one-off."
- Oliver played Salem's "nerdy" chief water inspector Devlin St. John across a three-episode arc that aired in early August, sharing scenes with Susan Seaforth Hayes, Daniel Feuerriegel, Maggie Carney, and Jackée Harry as mayor Paulina Price.
- Corday confirmed Oliver's specific demands were written into the script: "He wanted to be slapped, or someone slaps him. He wanted to be someone's long-lost something and a dramatic close-up of his face."
- Oliver arrived on set in heavy makeup, a wig, and a persona distinct from his late-night host, and Corday called him a "consummate professional" who knew all his dialogue cold across multiple dialogue-heavy episodes.
- Oliver had previously guest-starred on "General Hospital" in June as Z, head of the World Security Bureau spy agency, telling Variety: "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."
- Corday expressed interest in future A-list guest stars including Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Gosling as the show approaches its 61st anniversary in November, noting Gosling had already visited the set at Deidre Hall's invitation.
Why it matters: Oliver's arc demonstrates how legacy daytime soaps are leaning on high-profile comedic guests to generate buzz and social-media moments — Corday's insistence the storyline was "not a one-off" signals DOOL's intent to convert a viral wish-list pitch into a recurring promotional pipeline, with Corday already naming Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Gosling as future targets ahead of the show's 61st anniversary.
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