Abubakar Salim is steering one of the most closely watched arcs in HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” and he says the character’s legendary future has shaped his performance from the start.
In an exclusive interview with Where Is The Buzz, Salim opened up about his character’s expanding role, the weight of a legendary legacy, and what a happy ending might look like for a man of the sea.
Salim, 33, plays Alyn of Hull, who was introduced in Season 2 and saved the life of Lord Corlys Velaryon, known as the Sea Snake, in a pivotal moment. The series later revealed that Alyn is Corlys’ son. The character’s story expands significantly in the third season, which premiered on June 21.
Salim said an early scene carries heavy emotional weight, when Corlys, having been shamed and stripped of his standing, offers Alyn the only thing he has left to give: the Velaryon name, hinting at a coming legitimization.
“It’s all about context, right? We’ve witnessed a man who has been shamed, stripped of everything he has, and yet, in this moment of defeat, he still wishes to recognise and give something to a son he himself knows he failed,” Salim said. “And all he can give is his name. So in that moment, it feels worth so much more than it would have been before the battle, because it’s coming from a place of purity and raw vulnerability, and Alyn sees that.”
The season also features Alyn killing Sharako Lohar, a moment Salim framed as survival rather than triumph.
“I think for Alyn, it’s a necessary evil. I don’t think taking their life means anything other than cutting the head off a Hydra. In that moment, it feels more like survival than a win,” he said. “But upon reflection, I feel like Alyn knows the reality that another Lohar will take their place, and the same silly dance will happen again. There’s definitely a sense of satisfaction in enacting justice for the pain and terror Lohar has caused, but in the grand scheme of it all, it always comes down to ‘Was it worth it?'”
Alyn enters a family marked by tragedy, including the deaths of the princes Luke and Jace. Salim said the character is wary of the chaos surrounding the Velaryons and Targaryens.
“Alyn definitely doesn’t want to be part of the madness the family brings. All he wants is a family, but the reality is you also have to deal with the baggage that comes with it,” he said. “So for Alyn, it’s more about the pressure of responsibility for it all, rather than the weight of the dead members of the family.”
Readers of the source material know Alyn by the moniker “Oakenfist,” and Salim said he has woven that legacy into his portrayal since the show’s second season.
“In everything! From day one of Season 2, hah! From very small to very obvious,” he said. “For example, there are two moments in episode one of Season 3, when I take control of the ship as Corlys is distracted, and also how I kill Lohar. For me, there’s a ruthlessness that comes with such a title, so I wanted to sow those seeds. Ryan has given me a lot of room to play there.”
Asked which character could form the most chaotic alliance with Alyn, Salim pointed to Roddy the Ruin.
“I would love a scene working with the powerhouse that is Tommy Flanagan, for one, but I think both Alyn and Roddy would have a wonderful time together,” he said. “I reckon Roddy would bring out an even more monstrous side of Alyn!”
He stayed tight-lipped, however, about the cast’s off-screen group chat.
“There is a chat!” he said. “I can’t expose people like that! I would be kicked out!”
Asked which dragons Alyn might consider most formidable, Salim singled out Sheepstealer and Sunfyre.
“I think Sheepstealer has been set up to be a devastating force of nature. A dragon that has really had to survive in the wilds, who shrugs off attacks and continues on a path of destruction, we need to watch out for them,” he said. “Sadly, at the bottom, I would say Sunfyre. I mean, barely clinging on there.”
Salim also pushed back on a fan theory that Alyn is 40, joking about his own age before settling on the character’s.
“That Alyn is 40! I mean, even though I’m 33, I do feel 40 at times, but still! Maybe it’s the lack of hair? The broodiness? Who knows. But he’s not 40. He’s 39. No, in all seriousness, he’s 28,” he said. “But because of the cards he’s been dealt, I think life has definitely aged him. He’s a man who didn’t have a youth. He was responsible for his always-the-dreamer brother, Addam, and he wanted to protect that quality in him. So yeah, he may appear older and hardened, but he’s still young.”
As for what a peaceful ending would look like for Alyn, Salim kept it simple: “Boat. Ocean. His Queen. She knows who she is.”
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