John Oliver’s First On-Camera Role Was a British Stereotype
John Oliver talks about his first on-camera acting role in a Dickensian drama, and he explains the British traditional treat aniseed balls to Seth.
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John Oliver’s First On-Camera Role Was a British Stereotype
https://youtu.be/dvfEWUazvi0
Late Night with Seth Meyers
http://www.youtube.com/user/latenightseth
@alexasinag
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
why is baby john oliver is giving young timmy
@LionHeartSamy
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Came back here after watching them discuss the same thing again six years later, and wow, surprised to see them both wearing suits lololol
@525Lines
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Why is John wearing a first cavalry emblem on his lapel?
@philisbell1457
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
John is so down to earth.
@ipekkutlu78
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I think John Oliver is the only British person I genuinely like. Such a good company!
@travelwell6049
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I liked aniseed balls.
They were silver and you’d suck off the silver coating.
@EdwoodCA
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
2:28 Aniseed balls… were used as timing devices for WWII [underwater] mines? What the… wow?
"Between the striker and the detonator an aniseed ball was placed, as each had precisely the same spherical shape and consistently dissolved in water after 35 minutes, leaving the saboteur time to escape."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniseed_ball#Use_as_a_timing_device
@pauldockree9915
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I have reach the levels of John Jarndyce's anger waiting for USA to do something. Up on that same ridge I was haunting in November 2016 – the day after we were all told President Elect Donald Trump was successful in being boorish. And here we all still are. Enough John (Felix) Oliver.
Bleak House?
Walt Mason Canadian American prose
BLEAK DAYS
THE clouds are gray and grim today, the winds are sadly sighing; it seems like fall, and over all a sheet of gloom is lying. The dreary rain beats on the pane, and sounds a note of sorrow; but what’s the odds? The genial gods will bring us joy tomorrow. We have the mumps, the doctor humps himself around to cure it; we’re on the blink and often think we simply can’t endure it; to all who list we groan, I wist, and tell a hard-luck story; but why be vexed? Week after next we’ll all be hunkydory. The neighbor folks are tiresome blokes, they bore us and annoy us; with such folks near it’s amply clear that no one can be joyous; things would improve if they would move—we really do not need them; but let’s be gay! They’ll move away, and worse ones will succeed them. The world seems sad, sometimes, my lad, and life is a disaster; but do not roar; for every sore tomorrow brings a plaster. The fool, he kicks against the pricks, all optimism scorning; the wise man goes his way—he knows joy cometh in the morning.
Does former POTUS 45 know Bible (Upside down) Pelham Wodehouse Pigs? Barr the doors we now have Katie. Joy Cometh In The Mourning. MsSpelling Intended. All be hunkydory? I thought that too in 2006. Enter POTUS 44.
Oh Copyright of all these poems does not belong to me. But then I am uneducated and Trump is a self-styled genius because of his uncle or summit.
@phrophannus
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
He improves 100% every scene he is in Community.
@lilyusi
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
The duncan principle lives on
@gspendlove
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
"Superannuated widows" definitely sounds like a subject John would spend twenty-five minutes talking about on his show; an issue no one watching had ever heard of or knew anything about, something terribly tragic that John finds a humorous angle on. "Our main story tonight, Superannuated Widows. No, not the Marvel comic book team that had the famous fight with Doctor Coronary (comic-style drawing over his shoulder), but the real thing!"
@isaacmili5222
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Isn't that all that what he does now?
@kelleymason407
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
The lucky september italy paint because start legally afford behind a icky silver. nondescript, gray greasy great drop
@GR46404
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I that that John Oliver and Seth Meyers are both terrific.
@IAmFJ1
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I didn't know what aniseed ball is and I googled it and it's quite interesting:
In the spring of 1939 a magnetically-attached limpet mine was constructed in Britain for underwater sabotage actions in the upcoming war. The mines exploded when a cocked spring hit a detonator. Between the striker and the detonator an aniseed ball was placed, as each had precisely the same spherical shape and consistently dissolved in water after 35 minutes, leaving the saboteur time to escape. The first of these mines were sent to Yugoslavia and Egypt in the autumn of 1939.
@reginaale25
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Looked up Aniseed balls. They sound so disgusting and I can’t imagine who would ever hand that to a child
@ltlbuddha
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Is it apropos that the British "sweet" was used as an improvised timer for sabotage?
@chippysteve4524
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Wow! Somebody actually thought that this was worth putting up on youtube.
@exessex3522
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
1:37 Sure that's JO? His nose is not very beaky.
@mcyb561
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Where's my fucking Bugle?
@NeonVlogFreak
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Only John Oliver could look at a photo of his childhood self playing a literal Dickensian orphan and say, "There's a child with light in his eyes, there."
@Serryy
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
John Oliver is just genuinely funny.
@ohb1kenobi859
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
“Do you remember that, yes it was awful” All British Childhood memories to a tee
@roamenhumphris6955
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I love aniseed! DA 🤬😂🤣😂🤣
@lexyswope
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I've read all of Dickens. Isn't Bleak House the Jardace vs. Jardace one?
@i.g.c6882
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
I agree aniseed balls are gross
@jenniferm8831
January 9, 2026 at 12:21 am
Oh my word! That does sound like the worst British stereotype ever. Poor cute orphaned kiddo. I suppose if they had stuck you in a cupboard it would have had a similar effect to sticking you up a chimney 😅. I know what star anise is, but those balls sound disgusting sir. Lol Poor John Oliver. Love your show. You're pretty great too Seth Meyers. 😊
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