Grey’s Anatomy star Harry Shum Jr., who plays Dr. Benson “Blue” Kwan on the series, might have been “fired” in the 22nd season, but there’s still a chance his character will return.
At least he hopes. During the 44-year-old television star’s appearance on the red carpet at the 2026 MPTF NextGen Summer Party on May 31, he spoke with The Mirror U.S. about everything related to Grey’s Anatomy, including his view of the show alum Eric Dane. Eric, who rose to fame as the hunky Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, died at the age of 53 this year after losing his battle with ALS.
Harry considered his role on the medical drama as “iconic,” admitting that he brought way more to the show than just being a “sexy doctor” on screen.
“[Eric] had an iconic role, and what he brought to the show kind of set the tone of having like one, not just a sexy doctor, but having an incredible arc on the show,” he explained. “I mean, and so what he brought to the show and even to the industry alone is impactful…”
While Harry is still a part of the show, in the season finale of Season 22, which ended in early May 2026, his character, Dr. Kwan, was fired, leading many fans to wonder whether or not he’ll return for Season 23.
ABC renewed Grey’s Anatomy for another season in March 2026, before Season 22 officially ended.
When asked about what he would like to see happen with his character, or if his character would even come back, Harry explained, ” I don’t know what’s happening. We’ll see. The writers are figuring it out.”
He continued, “They probably already know what they’re going to do with the character. I’m kind of in the dark. I’m also just living in the moment at this moment.”
Harry noted that, for now, his role as Dr. Kwan had been “fired,” and added that his character, “we’ll see how he gets back into the hospital, if he gets back into the hospital.”
The Glee alum also hinted at what he believed would save his character on the series, adding that his fictional Dr. Kwan “keeps saving lives. So, if he keeps doing that, I think he’ll be fine.”
Harry emphasized, “So, whether he works at Grey Sloan or not, I would like him to because it’s a great hospital. I like that he causes chaos there, but obviously too much chaos because they fired him for now. So, we’ll see.”