Dean Cain Fires Back After John Oliver's Ruthless Attacks Over Joining ICE

Dean Cain defends his filmography and claps back at the 'Last Week Tonight' host after John Oliver spent some time unloading on the actor, quipping at one point, "Didn't you used to be Superman? I thought you died."

Dean Cain may not be a comedian, but he nevertheless jumped into a feud with one as Last Week Tonight host John Oliver became the latest celebrity to lambast the actor after he announced he had joined ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

The latest episode of HBO's award-winning topical comedy series saw Oliver take a look at the president's deportation agenda in the wake of his One Big Beautiful Bill making its way through Congress. Along the way, he couldn't help but weigh in on the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman star's big news.

Playing a segment from Cain's Instagram video from last week, where he says he joined ICE to "help secure the safety of all Americans," Oliver took a few moments to poke fun at this particular addition to the government's forces.

"You know, there's an old saying in Hollywood: 'If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are f--ked," he joked.

"Now, I'm not saying that ICE isn't finding people," he added. "I'm just saying, when you are reduced to pinning a badge on the 59-year-old star of The Dog Who Saved Christmas, The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, The Dog Who Saved the Holidays, The Dog Who Saved Halloween, The Dog Who Saved Easter, and The Dog Who Saved Summer, maybe you are in trouble."

He even shared the admittedly adorable movie posters for that ABC Family film (and later direct-to-DVD) series, where he starred as one of a pair of bumbling burglars alongside Joey Diaz. The films also starred famous faces like Mario Lopez, Joey Lawrence, Paris Hilton, Casper Van Dien, Mayim Bialik, Nicole Eggert, and William Zabka along the way, but all the posters feature just the adorable pups.

It also turns out to be a series that Cain is clearly proud of, as part of his response back to Oliver, which was posted to X within hours of Last Week Tonight airing, saw him defend the franchise, writing, "Those movies were sweet, by the way!"

Elsewhere in his segment, Oliver joked that there is a positive to Cain joining ICE as he quipped he'd have no trouble hiding his true identity. "No need for that guy to wear a mask because the chances of anyone recognizing him are f--king zero," he said.

"He stole that mask joke from the internet," Cain wrote in his retort. "And he also laughed hysterically when Trump said he was going to run for President. Case closed."

Oliver closed his segment on deportation with some advice for anyone faced with ICE agents, regardless of citizenship. "Attorneys told us the only two things you should say to them are: 'Am I free to leave?' And 'I want to speak to a lawyer,'" he said. "That’s it. You have the right to remain silent."

He then added with a smirk, "And I recognize that in some cases you may be unable to help yourself from saying: 'Didn’t you used to be Superman? I thought you died.' ... But that really is it."

Oliver is just the latest star to take potshots at Cain for signing up for ICE. John Leguizamo called the actor a "moron" in a scathing video shared to his Instagram, joking, "Dean Cain, your pronounces are has/been."

Glee alum Kevin McHale took to X with a blistering commentary, writing, "Look, I know the entertainment business is in shambles, but imagine being so out of work and desperate for attention (I would know) that you join ICE? F--king pathetic loser."

Meanwhile, comic Margaret Cho both noted that Cain is actually Japanese American. In fact, his parents were among the Japanese-American citizens who were held in internment camps in the 1940s.

"Why would you join ICE and encourage people to join ICE when your ancestors were interred in World War II?" Cho asked in an Instagram video of her own, before pointing out Cain's mixed heritage. "You're never gonna be white, no matter how racist you are, no matter how wrong you act."

As more people on social media piled on this angle, Cain jumped in to respond to one fan on X, writing, "Yes. I LOVE this country, despite its past mistakes."

The actor told Fox News' Jesse Watters that he "will be sworn in as an ICE agent A.S.A.P." He also added that he was already a sworn deputy sheriff as well as a police officer, per the New York Times.

"For those who don't know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer, as well as being a filmmaker. I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans," Cain said in his Tuesday, August 5, Instagram video.

"Not just talk about it -- so I joined up. Here's your opportunity to join ICE."

He also encourages others to also sign up in his video, noting the $50,000 signing bonus, student loan repayment, retirement and other benefits. "So, if you want to help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America's streets," he said. "They need your help. We need your help, to protect our homeland and our families."

Cain is best known for his roles in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Supergirl, and as host of Masters of Illusion -- as well as starring in The Dog Who Saved... films, apparently -- but lately has made headlines more for his support of President Donald Trump.