Longtime Gray’s Anatomy followers have witnessed considerably of a reboot within the collection since Season 19 premiered, introducing 5 new interns to hold on a lot of the drama amid collection star Ellen Pompeo’s exit. It’s an uncommon scenario, the place actors like Kate Walsh are returning to the present as “the elder statesman,” whereas these like Harry Shum Jr. are new faces on a two-decades-old drama. The actor spoke with CinemaBlend not too long ago about what it’s been wish to be part of the collection and what makes his experiences with the followers so distinctive.
We met Harry Shum Jr.’s character, Benson Kwan — aka “Blue” — on the Gray’s Anatomy’s Season 19 premiere as a part of the incoming class of first-year residents, who additionally included Simone Griffith (performed by Alexis Floyd), Lucas Adams (Niko Terho), Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane) and Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis). In a dialog with CinemaBlend’s Adam Holmes about Legion of Tremendous-Heroes — the newest direct-to-video animated DC film, through which Shum voices Brainiac 5 — he opened up about how coming onto a collection like Gray’s with a well-established fanbase was completely different from a few of his previous performing experiences. In his phrases:
It’s actually neat since you get on a challenge, and a number of instances actors are in their very own bubble, whether or not simply since you’re capturing on a regular basis otherwise you don’t exit into an area the place lots of people get to indicate their pleasure for a challenge you might be engaged on, that you’ve got labored on. However this one particularly, it’s been actually cool as a result of in numerous circles even throughout the movie trade or exterior of the movie trade, I stumble upon lots of people who simply actually are [liking where the story is going with] the brand new interns, who I like, by the way in which. They’re simply such wonderful, gifted folks. And I’m not simply saying that, it’s actually, actually fantastic to be on this new class with them.
Harry Shum Jr.’s previous work contains the extremely acclaimed Every part In every single place All at As soon as, Glee, Shadowhunters, and a cameo in Loopy Wealthy Asians’ end-credit scene (that’s deliberate to result in his personal spinoff). However not like a few of his different tasks, the place he might not be round people who find themselves tuned into his present work, Shum stated the recognition of Gray’s Anatomy has resulted in fan interactions each throughout the Hollywood circles and outdoors of it.
It sounds just like the actor and his fellow Gray Sloan interns can really feel the thrill of being a part of one thing that concurrently has longevity and is beginning recent and paving new roads. He additionally by no means has to wonder if or not persons are watching. Harry Shum Jr. continued:
As a result of I feel you may simply really feel this new vitality of being a part of one thing that has lasted for therefore lengthy, longer than another present [laughs], particularly within the dwell drama area, but in addition feels so recent and new, and really feel like there’s a lot extra to be taught and a lot extra to discover. It’s been cool to listen to folks… as an actor, you typically surprise if anybody’s been watching your present, so the truth that persons are, it’s all the time a neat feeling and one thing that may by no means get outdated.
On one hand it looks like a number of strain may be placed on the brand new forged members to drive the tales, as Meredith Gray packs up and strikes to Boston, but it surely appears like Harry Shum Jr. has gotten some optimistic suggestions from longtime followers who’re excited with Gray’s Anatomy’s shifted focus.
You’ll have the ability to see Harry Shum Jr. as Blue Kwan when Season 19 resumes at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, February 23, on ABC. Within the meantime, you may compensate for the present season’s first half with a Hulu subscription, or relive the primary 18 seasons, which can be found for streaming with a Netflix subscription.
