Harry Shum Jr. | |||||||||||||
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 Shum in 2017 | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1982-04-28)April 28, 1982 (age 43) Limón, Costa Rica | ||||||||||||
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| Years active | 2000–present | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in 183 cm | ||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Chinese | 岑勇康[1] | ||||||||||||
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| Website | www | ||||||||||||
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Harry Shum Jr. (born April 28, 1982) is an American actor and dancer. He is known for his roles asMike Chang on theFox television seriesGlee (2009–2015),Magnus Bane on theFreeform television seriesShadowhunters (2016–2019), and Dr.Benson Kwan on theABC television seriesGrey's Anatomy (2022–present). He was nominated for sixScreen Actors Guild Awards for best ensemble performance inCrazy Rich Asians,Glee andEverything Everywhere All at Once, winning for the latter two. Shum won The Male TV Star of 2018 award in theE! People's Choice Awards forShadowhunters.
Shum has appeared in the filmsStep Up 2: The Streets (2008),Step Up 3D (2010),White Frog (2012),Revenge of the Green Dragons (2014),Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016),Crazy Rich Asians (2018), theHulu web seriesThe Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (2010–2011) and theYouTube Originals seriesSingle by 30 (2016). In 2020, he starred inUniversal Pictures's romantic dramaAll My Life. In 2021, Shum starred in the thrillerBroadcast Signal Intrusion and appeared inNetflix's holiday rom-comLove Hard. In 2022, Shum had a supporting role inA24's critically acclaimed filmEverything Everywhere All at Once, and is set to star in a Crazy Rich Asians spinoff centered around his andGemma Chan's characters.
Shum was born inLimón, Costa Rica, the son ofChinese immigrants. His mother is a native ofHong Kong, and his father is fromGuangzhou, China. They relocated to Costa Rica, where Shum and his two older sisters were born. When Shum was six years old, the family moved toSan Francisco,California.[2] He stated, "I feel I have the best of so many worlds. I speakSpanish andCantonese. Spanish is actually my first language before I learned Cantonese andEnglish."[3][4] He later stated that he has not spoken Spanish fluently since the age of 6.[5]
Shum spent most of his schooling years inSan Luis Obispo County, California, and graduated fromArroyo Grande High School in 2000.[6] Initially, he had been more interested in theater and sports but found a passion for dance after auditioning for his high school dance team on a dare.[6][7][8] Shum attendedSan Francisco State University for a year, before dropping out to pursue a dance career. In an interview, he said that his earliest motivations to dance were from watchingGinuwine,Dru Hill, andUsher before becoming influenced by dancers likeGene Kelly andMichael Jackson.[7]
Shum began his dance career inLos Angeles.[9] As an 18-year-old, he was spotted by choreographers Rosero McCoy and Jamal Sims to go on a UK tour with the singerKaci.[10] He steadily built his career, appearing as the only male dancer onBET'sComicView,[3] and starred in a series ofiPod advertisements as dancing silhouettes.[11] He joinedBeyoncé,Alicia Keys, andMissy Elliott in their co-headlining tourLadies First in 2004,[12][13] while working as a backup dancer for artists includingJennifer Lopez,Jessica Simpson, andMariah Carey.[14] He appeared in several music videos of songs includingLose My Breath byDestiny's Child and"It's Like That" byMariah Carey.[15] Shum also worked as a dance instructor.[16]
Since 2008, Shum was given roles inStep Up 2 and laterStep Up 3D,[17] both directed byJon M. Chu. From 2009 until 2015, he portrayed the role ofMike Chang, a dancer who joins theglee club, on theFox musical comedy-drama seriesGlee.[18] Known for a while as "Other Asian" onGlee, he was given very few lines during the show's first season. Partly due to the enthusiasm from fans during his appearances on thelive tour taking place after thefirst season concluded, Shum's character was given storylines in thesecond season, mostly involving his relationship with fellow glee club memberTina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz).[19] He subsequently gave performances of "Make 'Em Laugh" in "The Substitute", "Sing" fromA Chorus Line in "Duets", "Valerie" in "Special Education", and the show's first dance solo in "A Night of Neglect". He was promoted from guest star to series regular for the third season.[20] He was given a major storyline in the third episode of the season, "Asian F," and performed "Cool" fromWest Side Story, his first solo song. On June 28, 2013, it was reported that Shum would not return as a regular onGlee's fifth season but would be a recurring guest star.[21]
Shum worked as both a choreographer and a dancer for the dance groupThe LXD.[22][23]
Shum has been featured in many productions ofWong Fu Productions.[24] In 2011, Shum starred in a short action film,3 Minutes, directed byRoss Ching and produced byDon Le andGeorge Wang.[citation needed] In 2012 he starred inWhite Frog, acomedy-drama film directed byQuentin Lee. Subsequently, Shum was cast in the role of theKuai Liang (the younger Sub-Zero) in the second season ofMortal Kombat: Legacy.[25] Harry had a major role in crime drama filmRevenge of the Green Dragons, which was executive produced byMartin Scorsese.[26] Shum was also a judge on thereality competition television seriesFace Off.[27]
In 2016, Shum appeared as the character Wei-Fang in theNetflix American–Chinesemartial arts filmCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,[28][29] a sequel toCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (1999). Shum was also cast as the male lead, Peter Ma, inSingle by 30, aYouTube Red original series from Wong Fu Productions and New Form Digital after starring in the original pilot in 2015. The first season of the series premiered on August 24, 2016, on Wong Fu Productions' Channel.[30]
Shum scored a primary role in theFreeform series,Shadowhunters, and portrayed the centuries-oldwarlockMagnus Bane between 2016 and 2019. The show was based onCassandra Clare's best-sellingyoung adultfantasy series,The Mortal Instruments.[31] His portrayal of Bane, a bisexual man of color, helpedShadowhunters win the 2017GLAAD media award for an "Outstanding Drama Series", which he accepted with his co-starMatthew Daddario.[32] Shum also received the Bisexual Representation Award (BiRA) for "Best Bisexual Representation of a Supporting Character" in both 2017 and 2018 hosted by FluidStyleCo.[33] Shum won the award for The Male TV Star of 2018 in theE! People's Choice Awards for his role as Magnus Bane inShadowhunters.[34]
Alongside his work inShadowhunters, he received supporting roles in films includingEscape Plan: The Extractors andBurn. In 2018, Shum was cast as Charlie Wu in Jon M. Chu'sCrazy Rich Asians.[35] Despite most of his scenes from the lattermost being cut due to the desire to focus on one romantic pairing, he appears briefly in a mid-credits scene, hinting at a romantic link to one of the characters, Astrid Leong-Teo.[36]
In 2019, Shum appeared in 4 episodes ofTell Me a Story which premiered in December 2019. In March 2020, Shum guest starred in an episode ofComedy Central'sAwkwafina Is Nora from Queens. On December 4, the romantic dramaAll My Life was released inUS theaters, followed by apremium video-on-demand release on December 23, and a streaming release onHBO Max on August 7, 2021.[citation needed]
Conspiracy thrillerBroadcast Signal Intrusion, in which Shum starred and served as an executive producer,[37] premiered to critical acclaim atSouth by Southwest Film Festival in March 2021[38] and was released On Demand and in select theaters on October 22, 2021.[citation needed]
In March 2022, Shum appeared in a supporting role in the critically acclaimedAcademy Award-winning filmEverything Everywhere All at Once.[39][40]Michelle Yeoh called Shum "the most incredible physical comedian ever", referring to his performance in the film.[41] On May 6, 2022,Deadline Hollywood reported that aCrazy Rich Asians spinoff is in early development atWarner Bros. and is set to focus on the relationship between Astrid Leong-Teo and Charlie Wu, played respectively byGemma Chan and Shum.[42] Starting October 2022, Shum joined the cast ofGrey's Anatomyseason 19 as surgical intern Dr. Benson "Blue" Kwan.[citation needed]
Shum also turned to voiceover work. He made a guest appearance in theParamount+ animated seriesStar Trek: Lower Decks, voicing the character of Rawda.[43] In 2022, Shum starred in and executive produced Realm's fiction podcast seriesEcho Park, which was nominated for Best Fiction Podcast at theiHeartRadio Podcast Awards.[44][45] In 2023, Shum voicedBrainiac 5 inDC Studios's animated film set in theTomorrowverse,Legion of Super-Heroes.[46] Also, in 2023, he narrated the PBSNature documentaryThe Hummingbird Effect.[citation needed]
In 2024, Shum will portray a drag queen in the shortShimmer - Inspired by Eva Young, set to premiere at the Sun Valley Film Festival.[47]
Shum began a relationship with actress and dancerShelby Rabara in 2007.[48] The two were engaged in October 2013 while on vacation inHawaii[49] and were married on November 22, 2015, inCosta Rica.[50][8] They have a daughter.[51]
According to Shum, his father currently lives inCosta Rica, and he regularly visits the nation. As well as stating the fact that his family has historically lived in Costa Rica, dating back at least 3 generations.[52]
Shum has stated that he identifies as being somewhatLatino. He said, "It's strange that I am full Chinese and born in a Latin country, but I love the fact that I was immersed in that culture at birth while maintaining my Chinese roots."[53]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | You Got Served | Dancer | |
| 2007 | Stomp the Yard | Crew dancer | |
| 2008 | The Onion Movie | "Lollipop Love" dancer | |
| Step Up 2: The Streets | Cable | ||
| Center Stage: Turn It Up | Club dancer | ||
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Harry | |
| The LXD: The Uprising Begins | Elliot Hoo | ||
| Step Up 3D | Cable | ||
| 2011 | 3 Minutes | Harry - Hunter #1 | Short film |
| Glee: The 3D Concert Movie | Mike Chang | Concert film | |
| 2012 | White Frog | Chaz Young | |
| 2014 | Moms' Night Out | Joey | |
| Revenge of the Green Dragons | Paul Wong | ||
| 2015 | Fire City: End of Days | Frank | |
| 2016 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny | Wei-Fang | |
| 2018 | Crazy Rich Asians | Charlie Wu | |
| 2019 | Escape Plan: The Extractors | Bao Yung | |
| Burn | Officer Liu | ||
| 2020 | All My Life | Solomon Chau | |
| 2021 | Broadcast Signal Intrusion | James | |
| Love Hard | Owen Lin | ||
| 2022 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Chad | |
| 2023 | Legion of Super-Heroes | Brainiac 5 | Voice[54][55] |
| 2024 | Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths | Voice[54][56][57] | |
| 2024 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | Scott the Fire-Breathing Croc | Voice[54] |
| 2024 | Shimmer - Inspired by Eva Young | Dr. Ethan/Ai Mei Shimmer | Short film[47] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Boston Public | Fletcher | Episode: "Chapter Sixty" |
| 2005 | Committed | Chinese Delivery Guy | Episode: "The Apartment Episode" |
| 2007 | High School Musical 2 Dance-Along | Dancer | Television film; uncredited[citation needed] |
| Viva Laughlin | Construction Dancer | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2008 | Zoey 101 | Roy | Episode: "Trading Places" |
| Rita Rocks | Zack | Episode: "Flirting with Disaster" | |
| Greek | Omega Chi Brother | 3 episodes | |
| iCarly | Yûki | Episode: "IGo to Japan" | |
| 2009–2015 | Glee | Mike Chang | Recurring role (seasons 1–2, 5–6); main role (seasons 3–4) |
| 2010–2011 | The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers | Elliot Hoo | Miniseries |
| 2013 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Kuai Liang / Sub-Zero | Web series; guest role |
| The Eric Andre Show | Himself | 1 episode | |
| 2014 | Fake Off | Himself | Judge (season 2) |
| Caper | Luke Washington | Web series; main role | |
| 2016 | Single by 30 | Peter Ma | Web series; main role |
| 2016–2019 | Shadowhunters | Magnus Bane | Main role |
| 2019–2020 | Tell Me a Story | Brendan | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens | Doc Hottie | Episode: "Grandma & Chill" |
| 2022 | Step Into... The Movies | Himself | TV special; "Beauty and the Beast" dance sequence |
| 2022–present | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Benson "Blue" Kwan | Main role (Season 19[58]–present) |
| 2022 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Rawda | Voice, episode: "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption" |
| 2023 | Station 19 | Dr. Benson "Blue" Kwan | Episode: "We Build Then We Break" |
| 2023 | Blue Eye Samurai | Takayoshi (voice) | Recurring cast |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | ReCore | Kai Brehn | Video game[54] |
| 2021 | Christmas Delivery | Felix | Podcast series |
| 2022 | Echo Park | James/Terrance | Podcast series |
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Glee | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: Group(with cast) | Nominated | ||
| Lesbian/Bi People's Choice Awards | Favorite Music Duo or Group(with cast) | Nominated | ||
| Gay People's Choice Awards | Favorite Music Duo or Group(with cast) | Won | ||
| 2011 | Glee | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: Group(with cast) | Nominated | ||
| Himself | East West Players Visionary Awards | Breakout Performance Award | Won | |
| 2012 | Glee | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| 2013 | Glee | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| Himself | Hawaii International Film Festival | Rising Star of the Year | Won | |
| Remixed | Streamy Awards | Best Choreography | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Shadowhunters | TV Scoop Awards | TV Breakout Star – Male | Won |
| MTV Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year(shared withMatthew Daddario) | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Shadowhunters | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Summer Actor | Nominated |
| Choice TV: Ship(shared withMatthew Daddario) | Nominated | |||
| Choice TV: LipLock(shared withMatthew Daddario) | Nominated | |||
| Bisexual Representation Award | Best Bisexual Representation by a Supporting Character Male | Won | ||
| 2018 | Shadowhunters | TV Scoop Awards | TV Best Drama Actor | Nominated |
| TV Best Couple(shared withMatthew Daddario) | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Ship(shared withMatthew Daddario) | Nominated | ||
| Bisexual Representation Award | Best Bisexual Representation by a Supporting Character Male | Won | ||
| People's Choice Award | The Male TV Star of 2018 | Won | ||
| 2019 | Shadowhunters | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Sci-Fi Fantasy TV Actor | Nominated |
| TV Scoop Awards | Best Performance | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Echo Park | iHeart Podcast Awards | Best Fiction Podcast | Pending |
| Everything Everywhere All at Once | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Won |
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