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DWTS' Harry Shum Jr. Defends Dance Experience After He, Jenna Johnson Land Highest Score
When it comes to his dance background, Harry Shum Jr. is not leavin' it all behind.
In fact, the Dancing With the Stars contestant shares a surprising history with the song he and pro partner Jenna Johnson are using for their tango routine on the upcoming "Mariah Carey Week" episode Oct. 6.
"Confirm or deny: Are you braids guy in the music video for Mariah Carey's 'It's Like That,'" E! News' The Rundown host Erin Lim Rhodes asked Shum in an exclusive interview, to which he replied, "Embarrassingly, that is me."
But don't fret if you didn't know about the Glee alum's blink-and-you-miss-it moment. Even Shum's own family had a hard time catching his cameo—in which he rocked cornrows and an all-white suit as a backup dancer—when the visuals first came out in 2005.
"You couldn't rewind it back then," the 44-year-old explained. "You literally had to wait another hour before you watched it again, so my parents weren't really into that waiting."
As for how he ended up on set with the music icon? Shum credits his lucky break to choreographer Debbie Allen.
"When you do those music videos, you're dancing in the back. You're kind of just watching from afar," he said. "Debbie Allen choreographed and did her tour. I was working with Debbie, so it's kind of cool to have that connection."
But the music video—which also starred Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller and Eric Roberts—wasn't Shum's only claim to fame during the early aughts. After all, he was one of the faceless silhouettes dancing in the 2004 commercial for Apple iPods.
"What's funny about the iPod commercials is that we weren't really full-on dancing," Shum shared. "They need silhouettes, so you have to dance big."
Disney/Andrew Eccles; YouTube
He continued, "So you're like, 'I don't even feel like I'm dancing because I'm just trying to stretch and show moves and shapes.' Maybe that's prepared me for bigger movement?"
That's why Shum and Johnson, 32, believe judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli expect them to perform at a higher level compared to other DWTS celebrity contestants.
"It's living up to that expectation or surpassing that," Johnson said in her joint interview with Shum. "It's where the judges are holding us, which we kind of knew that going into it. I respect that. It just helps us push ourselves and want to bring our A-game every week."
Disney/Eric McCandless
Besides, as Shum noted, scores aren't based on "purely technical" standards.
"It's also perspective," the Grey's Anatomy actor said. "It's the eye of the beholder. Everyone's opinion, they're going to see something differently than [what] they might see in someone else. And as far as the scoring goes, it's a different show. It's a hybrid of things. It's not just technical."
As such, Shum's only goal is to dance his heart out.
"We try and make sure we tell our story," he added, "and then see what happens after that."
Keep reading to get to know the rest of the DWTS season 35 cast.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
You won't hate this news—the 10 Things I Hate About You star will be saving the last dance for her pro partner.
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Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Cha-cha-chopping away... The celebrity chef will be turning up the heat this season.
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Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.
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Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.
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Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.
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Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Twenty years after starring in Step Up, the dancer is stepping up to the challenge.
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Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.
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Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.
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Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
The comedian, also known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn more applause on DWTS.
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Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.
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Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.
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Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Ciara exclusively told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
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