Harry Shum Jr. Reveals the “Dancing with the Stars” Assumption About Him That’s ‘Just Not True’ (Exclusive)

Yamillah Hurtado, Julia MooreThu, September 3, 2026 at 12:50 AM UTC

0

Harry Shum Jr. for ‘Dancing with the Stars’Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles -

Harry Shum Jr. reveals the fan assumption about his Dancing with the Stars chances that is “just not true”

The ‘Glee’ star is paired with pro Jenna Johnson for season 35 of ‘Dancing with the Stars’

“I’m here to have fun and dance and dance with an incredible partner,” he tells PEOPLE

Before Harry Shum Jr.‘s Dancing with the Starscasting was confirmed, fans speculated he’d be part of season 35.

When rumors of the Grey’s Anatomy star’s casting emerged online, fans of the Emmy-nominated dance competition series shared their thoughts. Some assumed that Shum’s prior dance experience — starring in Glee as dancer Mike Chang and performing in the Step Up franchise — would give him an advantage on the show.

“I think everyone’s idea is like, ‘Oh, you dance, so you should be able to dance anything.’ And I mean, that’s just not true,” Shum tells PEOPLE at Good Morning America on Wednesday, Sept. 2. “There are hundreds of styles, not dozens, hundreds all over the world.”

Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chang on ‘Glee’Credit: FOX Image Collection via Getty

The actor explained that though he has a background in dance, his partner Jenna Johnson has “a better understanding” of the craft, and being on DWTS will push him toward performing in the “same field” as her.

Shum told Entertainment Tonight that competing in DWTS will bring on new challenges since he doesn’t have experience in ballroom or Latin dancing.  “It’s just a whole new vocabulary,” he said. “I’m excited for the challenge, and I’m very ignorant to it, in a sense of like I don’t know anything about it. So [Jenna’s] teaching me the ropes, and hopefully we can execute on stage.”

— sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Advertisement

The Glee star tells PEOPLE that there is “absolute pressure” that comes with having a dance background, but he’s “okay” with it. “I’m here to have fun and dance and dance with an incredible partner and tell some fun stories,” he adds.

Shum says he was elated when he found out he’d been paired with Johnson. “She’s just [an] incredible, all-around person [and] teacher, which sometimes have a good performer, but [they] might not be able to teach. So I’m so grateful for that.”

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson for ‘Dancing with the Stars’Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles

Shum isn’t the only DWTS season 35 celebrity contestant with a dance background, as fellow stars Amber Glenn, Jenna Dewan, Jackson Olson and Julia Stiles all have experience in the medium.

Glenn, an Olympic gold medalist, is paired with Pasha Pashkov, Dewan with Val Chmerkovskiy, Olson with Emma Slater, and Stiles with Ezra Sosa.

Dancing with the Stars returns with a two-night premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept. 16, on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will stream the following day on Hulu.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”