Harry Shum Jr.’s future on Grey’s Anatomy was already up in the air — but his recent Dancing With the Stars casting has some fans wondering whether Kwan is officially leaving Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
ABC confirmed on Wednesday, September 2, that Shum Jr., 44, is competing on the upcoming season of DWTS with pro partner Jenna Johnson. The reveal made some viewers question what that would mean for his character on season 23 of Grey’s Anatomy, which is filming at the same time.
Shum Jr. hasn’t addressed his involvement in Grey’s so far, but The Rookie‘s Jenna Dewan, who is paired with Val Chmerkovskiy on DWTS, confirmed that she will be able to film both shows at once.
Questions initially arose about Shum Jr.’s role on the medical drama after his character was fired in season 22.
“Who got fired?” Shum Jr. quipped to E! News in May, referring to Kwan being let go for secretly giving a patient an experimental treatment that was denied by the FDA.
Shum Jr. noted at the time that he didn’t know what to expect for season 23.
“I wish I knew. I am just as much in the dark as audiences,” he said. “But to me, it’s the hope of, ‘Do audiences want to see him go or do they want to see him go back to the hospital?’”
While the fans do matter, Shum Jr. clarified that what happens next is “not fully up to the audience,” adding, “It’s up to the writers and Disney. But also, I think it’s good to see the doctors make mistakes, but also with good intentions.”
He concluded: “It wasn’t just because he was a bumbling mess. He was very motivated in making sure that someone got to be able to choose life over death.”
In behind-the-scenes photos from the set, Shum Jr. was spotted alongside his costars, so Kwan is likely to return in some capacity — although he could simply return to wrap up his story line.
As for his journey in the ballroom, Shum Jr. spoke to Us on Wednesday about whether his past dance experience will give him an advantage. (Shum Jr. appeared on Glee from 2009 to 2015, has performed as a backup dancer for artists including Beyoncé and was featured in the Step Up movie franchise.)
“I was lip-synching while dancing [when I was on Glee], so that’s a little different. I’ve done one partner dance on the show, and that nearly killed me — with Heather Morris,” he shared on Wednesday. “Even [in] our last rehearsal, dancing for 60 seconds, I’m dying. Also, that was, like, 17 years ago that I last did [that].”
Shum Jr. said he’s been able to “stretch” his body into a “whole different configuration” while practicing for DWTS.
“So I think the elements — I think it’s performance, that’s what’s fun. Telling the story is just stuff that I’m really excited about, but the stuff I’m nervous about is really the technique of it all,” he added, explaining that ballroom styles are “absolutely” different from what he’s done in the past.
Dancing With the Stars season 35 kicks off with a two-night premiere on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.
