I was a big geek in high school. Proof? I went to prom twice in high school and had no date…twice. Almost a decade later, I’m still a geek but with an L — I’m a Gleek. The term ‘gleek’ is now widely popularized as a nickname for fans of Fox’s Glee. The show follows a high school Spanish teacher who’s driven to turn a group of underdogs into a high school Glee club of superstars. Speaking of superstar, last week I was able to interview Glee’s Harry Shum.
JI: A lot of us at Ningin are full fledged Gleeks. For those just now getting into the show, can you tell us about the character you play on Glee?
HS: I play a shy football player named Mike Chang who joins the Glee club despite the fact that it is social suicide. While having the ability to sing and dance, he brings a different element to the club that spices it up a bit.
JI: You are a crazy-talented dancer, and it’s obvious that you are quite passionate about dance. How long have you been dancing and how did you get into dance?
HS: Dancing definitely fulfills my soul. But believe it or not I didn’t dance much when I was a kid. I actually began dancing in high school when a friend of mine dared me to audition for the dance team. I ended up making it and my passion grew for it after my first performance in front of hundreds of people. So sometimes it’s never too late to learn something. You never know what you may be good at.
JI: From a viewer’s perspective, your character along with the New Directions members, seem to be having the time of their lives just singing and dancing. While it’s obvious you’re working hard, being on Glee just looks like it’s a lot of fun. Is this really the case?
HS: Yes! While some days we have long hours (sometimes up to 18 hours) there is nothing else to cure the tiredness than singing and dancing! I think it is safe to say that we all love what we do and we’re very fortunate to be a part of such an amazing show.
JI: The popularity of Glee is increasing rapidly — it’s not uncommon to see Glee as a Twitter trend topic. Did you expect this at all prior to signing on as a cast member?
HS: I had no idea that it would create such a crazy following. It’s amazing to me how many loyal fans it had before it even aired! But it’s so great to see people talk about the show and hear their feedback. I’d be a fan of the show even if I wasn’t on it.
JI: Can you tell us about any upcoming projects you have lined up?
Outside of Glee, I am also working on an online series with Jon M. Chu (Director of Step Up 2) called The LXD which can be best described as dance meets “Heroes.” I choreographed along with Christopher Scott and will star in it as well. The dancing is simply breathtaking. You can check out the trailer at www.thelxd.com. Should be out in late 2009. Twitter me and let me know what you think! Also just wrapped on Step Up 3D which will be out in August 2010.
JI: Lastly, what’s one thing about you that we should all know?
HS: I like long walks on the beach and…oh wait, what?
What a coincidence, I like long walks on the beach too, Harry! I also like–scratch that– love Glee. The next episode airs Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. on Fox! (The official site has Glee on-demand if you’re like me and can’t wait that long.)
Can’t get enough of Harry? I know I can’t:
Official Harry Shum site
Harry’s blog
Photo: Billboard
0 comments