Harry Shum Jr. moved to Arroyo Grande, California with his family at 9 years old. Growing up in the small town, he found himself riding his bike from street to street and enjoying the “simple life” after moving from San Francisco.
Before laying down roots in California, Shum Jr. was born in the tropical country of Costa Rica. Despite being an ocean apart, he recognized a connection between his home country and the small San Luis Obispo County surf town.
“Costa Rica, where we lived, was slower paced so it had a nice feel like we’re kind of at home. We just have a different culture to learn,” Shum Jr. said in an interview with Mustang News.
What the 9-year-old boy didn’t know was that the move would allow him to discover his passion for dance at Arroyo Grande High School. The early start would help him land a variety of roles, from commercials, to being a backup dancer for A-list celebrities such as Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, to his first big break on the hit television show “Glee,” to non-dancing roles like playing Dr. Benson “Blue” Kwan on “Grey’s Anatomy” since Season 19 in 2022.
He also didn’t know he would compete for the highly sought-after Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Season 35 of “Dancing With the Stars” at 44 years old.
Shum Jr. and his partner Jenna Johnson even earned the first perfect score of the season during Horror Movie Night with their “Saw”-themed contemporary dance.
Their live performance was the first time the duo had perfectly executed the piece, and they earned a 10 from guest judge Shirley Ballas, a well-renowned ballroom dancer and coach.
“It felt really good letting go of the fear of overthinking things,” Shum Jr. said. “[Shirley] has this background that she will give criticism because she wants you to grow…[so] to receive a 10 from her and all the judges, I don’t know what to say, it’s the highest praise.”
A dare pushed Shum Jr. to join dance at Arroyo Grande High School with his friend Justice Whitaker. In high school, he and Whitaker were still trying to figure out who they were and who they weren’t, so they auditioned.
“It was just a fun community, just something you do with your friends and that’s what really drew me in, is that community aspect of it,” Shum Jr. said.
After graduating from Arroyo Grande High School in 2000, the same high school Cal Poly alumni and Season 34 “Dancing with the Stars” competitor Dylan Efron graduated from, Shum Jr. went to San Francisco University for a brief period before dropping out to pursue dance in Los Angeles in 2001.
READ MORE: Cal Poly alum, Dylan Efron, takes the ballroom stage on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Shum Jr.’s first big gigs included appearing as a dancing silhouette in iPod commercials, traveling as a backup dancer on Beyoncé’s 2004 “Ladies First” tour and appearing as Cable in “Step Up 2: The Streets.”
These roles were the foundation for Shum Jr. as he landed his breakout role in 2009 as Mike Chang in “Glee.”
“When ‘Glee’ came out, it was really pushing me to the limit of what I thought I could do,” Shum Jr. said. “I had done a couple of plays that required some singing and dancing, but it was like a one time thing. So when we got in a bootcamp of learning things really fast and putting it on camera really fast, that taught me how you just have to live in the moment.”
On “Dancing with the Stars,” Shum Jr. applied this same mindset, learning and performing a new dance every week while filming “Grey’s Anatomy” at the same time.
Episode 4 of “Dancing with the Stars” gave audiences a glimpse of Shum Jr.’s hectic schedule as he and Johnson are seen finding any time possible to practice their tango. These impromptu practices can take place anywhere, from a parking lot to a “wobbly trailer” on the “Grey’s Anatomy” set, as Shum Jr. described it.
“I feel like the luckiest person to be able to experience two completely polar opposite programs and still experience such wonderful people,” Shum Jr. said.
He emphasized the support he feels from both his “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Dancing with the Stars” teams. On the “Grey’s Anatomy” side, he says everyone celebrates each other for their outside accomplishments and it’s “like a dream to work.”
That same community is mirrored in the ballroom.
“I feel the same way about ‘Dancing with the Stars’ because all the pro dancers are excellent at what they do and [have] completely different personalities, and it shows that they can come together and have this community striving to just entertain people at the end of the day,” Shum Jr. said.
In addition to support from his co-stars on both shows, the city of Arroyo Grande has rallied together to support his journey to the Mirrorball.
Shum Jr.’s friend and San Luis Obispo County musician, Lorde Sanctus, partnered with the owner of Humdinger Brewing in Arroyo Grande through his music company Connect the Coast to provide “Dancing with the Stars” watch parties while Shum Jr. is still a contestant on the show. Shum Jr. expressed that this support means the world.
Despite not having family in San Luis Obispo County anymore, Shum Jr. still visits.
“I find myself visiting more and more because when you’re younger, that’s where you live and you kind of don’t fully appreciate how we have it,” Shum Jr. said.
The saying, “Not L.A. Not the Bay,” created by Esteem Surf Co., has resonated with Shum Jr. as he says it is a beautiful description of what San Luis Obispo County is now.
He emphasizes his love for his hometown will remain, no matter where his journey takes him next.
“It really warms my heart to see people back there are supporting me, and I have nothing but love for the 805 forever,” Shum Jr. said.
Shum Jr. will take the stage at the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ semifinal on Nov. 17. On his social media, he encourages viewers to vote, which opens at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday and closes shortly after the final dance.