Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Harry Shum Jr

Harry Shum, Jr. by Gage Skidmore from Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Harry Shum Jr

Harry Shum Jr.’s performance as Charlie Wu in Crazy Rich Asians introduced him to even more people. Harry Shum Jr. already has a devoted fan base because of his role in Shadowhunters. You’ve found the proper place if you’ve been looking up information about the actor or reading through his gorgeous Instagram photos.

The 36-year-old is not only exceedingly personable, but he also has a wide range of skills. He speaks three languages, in case you didn’t know. There are many other interesting facts that are definitely worth knowing so read on.

1. He speaks different languages 

Shum was born to Chinese parents who lived in Costa Rica before relocating to San Francisco, California, in the United States when he was six years old. As a result, it is not unexpected that he knows Spanish, Cantonese, and English.

Having said that, it’s fascinating to note that he no longer speaks Spanish fluently because he hasn’t used it in a while. When asked why he speaks Cantonese rather than another Chinese dialect, like, for example, Mandarin, the answer is that both of his parents are from Cantonese-speaking regions: Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

2. He knows how to dance and he teaches it too

Harry Shum Jr by vagueonthehow from Wikimedia Commons

Shum is a dancer and a choreographer, as anyone who saw Glee will know, but it’s crucial to recognise that he’s also had the chance to demonstrate similar abilities in other circumstances. For example, he has appeared in three dance dramas rather than just one or two. He has additionally shared the stage with Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, and Jessica Simpson.

3. His dance training served him well in his role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Even while dance is dance and martial arts are martial arts, many practitioners of both have found similarities that make learning the second discipline easier for the first discipline’s practitioners. Because of this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that Shum’s expertise as a dancer aided him when he was selected for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny even though he has never had formal martial arts training.

4. He’s eaten the most interesting things even crickets

Shum has claimed that he is a bit of an adventurer when it comes to trying new cuisines, which could be related to the enormous variety of foods to which he was exposed through the diverse components of his background. He has used the consumption of crickets as evidence. In light of this, it’s intriguing to observe that, in a world where resources are becoming increasingly scarce, eating crickets is a cheap and unsustainable source of protein, and yet there is a rising movement in the United States to support this practice.

Since insects are so different from us, their diseases can’t spread to humans as easily as diseases from, say, cows and pigs, something that helps with how insects are not just healthier in a nutritional sense but also safer from a public health standpoint.

5. He’s married

Shelby Rabara by steve cranston from Wikimedia Commons

Shelby Rabara and Shum Rabara got married in 2015 after getting engaged in 2013. In short, Rabara started out as a Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader before switching to acting on the big and small screens. She is also a dancer. Additionally, it is intriguing to note that she is a voice actress as well because Peridot’s voice is provided by her for Steven Universe, making this a voice actor as well.

6. They have a daughter together

Harry and his wife Shelby made the first-time parent announcement in November 2018. The star soon made the baby’s gender public during the E! People’s Choice Awards.

7. He dropped out of university

Sfstate by Wikimedia Commons

Shum graduated from Arroyo Grande High Scholastic in 2000 after spending most of his school years in San Luis Obispo County, California. He had initially been more interested in theatre and sports, but after going on a dare to audition for his high school dance team, he discovered a passion for dancing.

Shum spent a year studying at San Francisco State University before quitting to focus on a dancing career. In an interview, he claimed that before being inspired by dancers like Gene Kelly and Michael Jackson, his early dance inspirations came from seeing artists like Ginuwine, Dru Hill, and Usher.

8. At first, he was given very few lines at Glee

Glee Born this way by vagueonthehow from Wikimedia Commons

Shum has been granted roles in Jon M. Chu’s Step Up 2 and afterwards Step Up 3D since 2008. He played the dancer Mike Chang in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee from 2009 to 2015.

On Glee, he was known for a period as “Other Asian,” but he received very few lines in the first season. Shum’s character had storylines in the second season, most of which focused on his connection with fellow glee club member Tina Cohen-Chang. This was partly owing to the enthusiasm from fans during his performances on the live tour that took place after the first season ended (Jenna Ushkowitz).

9. Shum has been featured in many productions of Wong Fu Production

Ross Ching, Don Le, and George Wang produced the 2011 action-thriller 3 Minutes, in which Shum appeared. He appeared in Quentin Lee’s comedy-drama White Frog (2012) as the lead actor. In the ensuing Mortal Kombat: Legacy season 2 casting, Shum was given the part of Kuai Liang (the younger Sub-Zero). [30] Harry played a significant part in Martin Scorsese’s criminal movie Revenge of the Green Dragons.  Additionally, Shum presided as a judge on the reality competition series Face Off.

10. He mostly identifies as being Latina

Harry has always said that even though he has Chinese roots, he’s always felt more connected to Latinas since he was born in a Latin country.