Harry Shum Jr is having a big moment in 2026, and a lot of people typing his name into Google right now just want the basics fast. This guide lays out exactly who he is, what he has done in his career, and what is actually happening with him this week, without any of the guesswork some other sites are filling in.
Background: Who Is Harry Shum Jr?
Harry Shum Jr was born on April 28, 1982, in Limón, Costa Rica, to Chinese parents, with his father coming from Guangzhou and his mother from Hong Kong. He grew up speaking multiple languages and eventually settled with his family in California, where he finished high school. Long before most viewers knew his face, he was already working as a professional dancer, which is the skill that eventually opened the door to acting.
People search for him today mainly for two reasons. First, he spent years playing two very different but equally loved characters on television: Mike Chang on Fox’s Glee from 2009 to 2015, and Magnus Bane on Freeform’s Shadowhunters from 2016 to 2019. Second, and more urgently right now, he has stepped back into the spotlight as a competitor on a major reality dance competition, which has pushed his name back to the top of trending searches.
Latest Update
As of September 16, 2026, here is what is currently known and verified about Harry Shum Jr.
 Key Date: Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars began its two-night premiere on September 15, 2026, with Harry Shum Jr competing alongside professional partner Jenna Johnson.
Shum has been paired with professional dancer Jenna Johnson for the new season, and the two made an early impression, earning a score of 21 and finishing at the top of the leaderboard on premiere night. That result is a big part of why his name is trending, since it is a strong opening score for a contestant who is not a professional ballroom dancer.
The other reason he is trending is more personal. Shum and his wife, Shelby Rabara, celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in November 2025, and fans have been revisiting their relationship timeline now that Shum is back in front of a national TV audience. In a June 2026 interview with People, Shum said that keeping a long relationship working comes down to “loving each other in different stages”, and that couples need to keep communicating as their lives shift.
 No death, breakup, health scare, or scandal involving Harry Shum Jr has been confirmed by any credible source as of this date. If you have seen a dramatic headline about him elsewhere, treat it as unconfirmed until a major outlet reports it directly.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Harry Shum Jr has two older sisters, Susana and Cristina. The family moved from Costa Rica to California while he was young, and he later attended Arroyo Grande High School, graduating around 2000. Growing up between two cultures shaped a lot of how he talks about identity today, since he was raised speaking English, Spanish, and Cantonese at home. Multiple sources note he briefly enrolled at San Francisco State University before leaving after a short time to chase a dancing career full time, though the exact length of that enrollment varies slightly by source. That early decision to leave school for dance is often described as the turning point that set the rest of his career in motion.
Career Path
Shum’s career started on stage, not screen. Before any casting director knew his name, he was already touring and working as a backup dancer for major recording artists, which is a detail that explains why his physicality has always looked so natural on camera. Choreography and small acting roles eventually led to bigger opportunities in film. He appeared in Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) and Step Up 3D (2010), then landed his breakout role as Mike Chang on Glee, earning four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and one win for that ensemble. He followed that with Magnus Bane on Shadowhunters, which won him the Male TV Star of 2018 award at the E! People’s Choice Awards. That role in particular turned him into a fan-favorite figure well beyond the show’s original audience, thanks to a large and vocal online fanbase. He has since appeared in Crazy Rich Asians, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and plays Dr. Benson Kwan on Grey’s Anatomy starting in 2022. In 2026, he is competing on Dancing with the Stars Season 35, which brings his career back to the dance floor where it started more than two decades ago.
Age
Harry Shum Jr was born April 28, 1982, making him 44 years old as of this writing.
Religion
Harry Shum Jr’s religious beliefs are not confirmed by Wikipedia or major news outlets. UNCONFIRMED One lower-authority biography site describes him as Christian, but this has not been verified through an interview, official statement, or established news source, so it should be treated as unverified.
Spouse/Partner
Harry has been with actress and dancer Shelby Rabara since 2007, and the couple got engaged while vacationing in Hawaii, later marrying on November 22, 2015, in Costa Rica. They celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in November 2025. Shelby is herself known for stage and voice work, including playing Peridot in the Steven Universe franchise and voicing Snappy in Toy Story 5.
Net Worth
Multiple entertainment finance trackers, including Celebrity Net Worth, place Harry Shum Jr’s net worth at around $14 million. ESTIMATE This figure is a public estimate built from career earnings across acting, dancing, and choreography rather than a number confirmed by Shum himself, so it should be read as an approximation, not an audited fact.
Parents
His father is from Guangzhou, China, and his mother is from Hong Kong. Their full first names have not been published in any major outlet, so that detail remains unconfirmed publicly.
Height
Wikipedia lists his height as 6 feet 0 inches (183 cm). A few celebrity biography sites list him slightly shorter, around 5 feet 11 inches, so treat the exact inch as a minor point of disagreement between sources rather than a settled fact.
Education
He attended and graduated from Arroyo Grande High School in Arroyo Grande, California. He was later accepted into San Francisco State University but left after a short stretch to pursue dancing professionally full time.
Hometown/State of Origin
He was born in Limón, Costa Rica, and moved to California as a child, which is where he was largely raised and educated.
Official Social Media
You can follow his verified account on Instagram: @harryshumjr.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Harry Shum Jr |
| Date of Birth | April 28, 1982 |
| Age | 44 |
| Birthplace | Limón, Costa Rica |
| Occupation | Actor, dancer, choreographer |
| Known For | Glee, Shadowhunters, Grey’s Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars (2026) |
| Spouse | Shelby Rabara (married 2015) |
| Net Worth | Estimated $14 million (unaudited estimate) |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in / 183 cm (some sources say 5 ft 11 in) |
| Religion | Unconfirmed |
Good to know: Shum’s dance background, not formal acting training, is what got him his earliest film roles in the Step Up franchise.
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Harry Shum Jr still married?
Yes. He is still married to Shelby Rabara, and the couple marked their 10th wedding anniversary in November 2025. They have been a couple since 2007.
How old is Harry Shum Jr in 2026?
He was born on April 28, 1982, which makes him 44 years old as of this article’s publication date.
What is Harry Shum Jr’s net worth?
Public estimates from sites like Celebrity Net Worth put his net worth at around $14 million. This is an estimate based on his acting, dancing, and choreography career, not an officially confirmed figure.
Is Harry Shum Jr on Dancing with the Stars?
Yes, he is competing on Season 35, which premiered September 15, 2026. He is paired with professional dancer Jenna Johnson and finished at the top of the leaderboard on premiere night.
Does Harry Shum Jr have kids?
Yes, Wikipedia’s infobox lists one child for Harry Shum Jr and Shelby Rabara. The child’s name has appeared on lower-authority sites but has not been confirmed through a major outlet, so that specific detail is treated as unconfirmed here.
What shows is Harry Shum Jr known for?
He is best known for playing Mike Chang on Glee (2009-2015) and Magnus Bane on Shadowhunters (2016-2019). He also plays Dr. Benson Kwan on Grey’s Anatomy starting in 2022.
Where was Harry Shum Jr born?
He was born in Limón, Costa Rica, to Chinese parents, and moved to California as a young child.
 If you come across a headline claiming a major scandal, split, or health emergency involving Harry Shum Jr that isn’t reflected in this article, check the date and source carefully. As of the update above, nothing of that nature has been confirmed by credible reporting.
Wrap-Up
Harry Shum Jr’s story is really a story about persistence across different lanes of entertainment. He didn’t walk onto a Hollywood set as a trained actor; he built a career one dance gig at a time, then let that physical skill carry him into two of the most talked-about TV shows of the last fifteen years. That path is part of why his current run on Dancing with the Stars feels less like a celebrity trying something new and more like a professional dancer finally getting to show off the full range of what he can do.
His personal life tells a similarly steady story. Instead of a string of public relationships, he has spent nearly two decades with the same partner, and both of them have kept building their individual careers alongside their marriage. That kind of consistency is less flashy than a tabloid headline, but it is one of the more reliable facts in his public biography.
Fans following his run on Dancing with the Stars should expect the story to keep developing week to week, since scores and eliminations change fast on that show. Anyone searching for updates on his progress should look for results from ABC or major entertainment outlets rather than assuming a rumor is confirmed simply because it’s trending.
For now, the most current and verified thing happening with Harry Shum Jr is his strong start on Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars. Anything beyond that circulating online right now should be checked against a major outlet before it’s treated as fact, and this article will only state new developments once they are confirmed.
Thomas Andrew is the founder of Odubio.com, a digital platform sharing inspiring biographies, news, and stories about global icons and achievers.