Harry Shum Jr. is interested in returning for the new Glee and Crazy Rich Asians television series. Neither production has announced him as a cast member.
The 44-year-old discussed the possibilities with Entertainment Weekly after the October 27 episode of Dancing With the Stars, where he is competing with Jenna Johnson. “I love those two franchises,” he said.
He is also filming Season 23 of Grey’s Anatomy for ABC, playing Dr. Benson “Blue” Kwan. “I’m currently really, really busy now,” he acknowledged when discussing another potential commitment.
The two prospective projects were ordered within weeks of one another. HBO announced its sequel series on October 8, followed by Disney+ and Hulu’s October 21 order for a new Glee series, more than a decade after the original ended.
Charlie Wu’s Brief Appearance Teased a Romance With Astrid
Harry Shum Jr. on the ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ series and ‘Glee’ reboot:
Shum played Charlie Wu in the 2018 film’s mid-credits scene, exchanging a look with Gemma Chan’s Astrid after her marriage to Michael Teo had fallen apart. Charlie, her former fiancé, has a much larger role in Kevin Kwan’s novels than that brief appearance allowed.
Shum pointed to the film’s ending when discussing the possibility of working with Chan again. “I would love to try and find a way to make it work,” he said. Chan was also absent from the initial cast announcement.
The HBO series will pick up after the movie, with Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Ronny Chieng returning as series regulars and Michelle Yeoh in a recurring role. Adele Lim, who co-wrote the film, will serve as showrunner. Kwan, director Jon M. Chu and producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are also returning as executive producers.
Lim said the television format would give the creative team eight episodes to explore Kwan’s characters and their world, instead of the running time of another film. In the announcement, she said the writers’ room was already at work.
Shum Took Singing Lessons Before Mike Chang’s ‘Cool’ Solo
On Glee, Shum played Mike Chang throughout the show’s six-season run. A recurring performer in the first two seasons, he became a series regular in Seasons 3 and 4 before returning to recurring appearances after Mike graduated.
The Season 3 episode “Asian F” gave Mike a showcase with “Cool” from West Side Story. His father wanted him to abandon show choir and concentrate on academics after receiving an A-minus, while Mike wanted to pursue dance.
In an October 2011 interview with TV Guide, Shum said he had sought vocal coaching on his own so he would be ready when a singing opportunity arrived. The choreography presented another challenge. He recalled having only four hours to rehearse, rather than the weeks or months available for some movie performances.
For the revival, Variety has reported that Lea Michele will reprise Rachel Berry, citing multiple sources. Ryan Murphy had previously said he completed a script with original cocreators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.
His ‘Glee’ Castmates Have Already Joined Him in the Ballroom
Shum and Johnson’s September 29 jive to Daryl Hall & John Oates’ “You Make My Dreams” included a fake mustache resembling the one Mike wore during Glee‘s version of the song. Amber Riley and Chris Colfer watched from the audience that night.
In a separate interview published by PEOPLE on October 11, the pair said they wanted to include more references to the musical series in their routines. Shum described the show as an important part of both his career and his life.
Riley returned to sing live for their October 6 tango to Mariah Carey’s “It’s Like That.” As Shondaland noted, Shum had appeared as a backing dancer in that song’s original music video.
On October 27, Shum and Johnson earned Season 35’s first perfect score, 40 out of 40, for their Saw-inspired contemporary routine to 2WEI’s “Toxic.” Guest judge Shirley Ballas joined the regular panel in awarding a 10, TheWrap reported.