‘House of the Dragon’s Abubakar Salim breaks down Corlys and Alyn’s relationship

Fatherhood has performed a big function in Abubakar Salim’s work over the previous few years.

From 2020 to 2022, the actor and sport developer starred in Raised by Wolves as Father, an android elevating human kids on planet Kepler-22b. In 2024, his online game studio Surgent Studios launched Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a side-scroller a few shaman on a quest to revive his father. As artistic lead on Zau, Salim drew on his grief for his personal late father, describing the sport as “a chunk of artwork that honored him” on the 2023 Recreation Awards.

Now, Salim tackles a really totally different form of father-son relationship in Home of the Dragon. He performs Alyn of Hull, bastard little one of Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and brother to newly minted dragonrider Addam (Clinton Liberty). In the beginning of Season 2, Corlys and Alyn’s relationship is distant, extra that between a boss and an worker. However since Alyn saved Corlys’ life offscreen throughout the occasions of Season 1, Corlys has begun paying extra consideration to him. In episode 6, he makes Alyn his first mate. In episode 7, he duties him with recruiting bastard Targaryens in King’s Touchdown to be new dragonriders for Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy). Ever so slowly, Corlys is bringing Alyn into the sunshine — however is it too little, too late?

In an interview with Mashable, Salim mentioned the similarities between Zau and Home of the Dragon, Alyn’s sophisticated relationship with Corlys, and the surprisingly sophisticated shaving scene from episode 6.

The next interview has been edited and condensed for readability.

Mashable: To start out, I noticed you tweet that there was a line you favored a lot in episode 6 that you simply “borrowed” it and put it in Zau. What was the road, and what was it about it that resonated with you sufficient that you simply introduced it to your sport?

It was “You make an artwork of frightening me,” [which Alyn says to Addam]. I keep in mind studying it and being like, “Oh, that’s the story of my life.” It is virtually such as you’re having fun with the truth that somebody is frightening you, though they’re pushing your buttons. It was only a actually highly effective line that carries this ingredient of, “I can respect it, however on the similar time I am actually aggravated by it.”

You have been directing Zau on the similar time that you simply have been taking pictures Home of the Dragon. Each initiatives have attention-grabbing hyperlinks to fatherhood. Did you ever discover your work on one undertaking influencing the opposite?

Completely. Each take care of absent fathers, and so they are available in all types of types. In Zau, you’ve got a father who was liked dearly and handed away too quickly. In Home of the Dragon, you’ve got a father who virtually handed away with none sense of acknowledgment. However the ghost of them nonetheless haunts you. It was actually attention-grabbing that I used to be directing this sport about my relationship with my father to a level, and likewise having a really totally different relationship with the daddy on set of Home of the Dragon. They each actually sung with each other.

I believe that is why the road “You make an artwork of frightening me” actually caught with me. As a result of who else is aware of how higher to bother you than your personal father, you recognize? I ship the road to Addam, nevertheless it applies to all of your kin.

Inform me about constructing that household relationship with Alyn and Corlys and Addam.

When Alyn appears to be like at Corlys, there is a haunting ingredient of, “No, his father is lifeless.” His father does not exist in his eyes, however he is haunted by him. He simply follows orders for his boss, who occurs to even be his father.

I’ve learn the books and did quite a lot of serious about how Alyn is meant to be 15. He is speculated to be younger, boisterous — a unique man to the man that I am taking part in on-screen. That, to me, is attention-grabbing, as a result of it signifies that he is needed to dwell with all of this baggage for thus a few years. The entire relationship with Corlys is meant to be transactional, however there’s this deep craving for love that, though it is buried deep, nonetheless exists.

Alyn places that love and that form of significance on Addam. He loves his brother dearly, cares for him, and does not need him to to be in any type of hazard. Hell, now he is on a dragon. [Laughs] It is, like, essentially the most harmful factor.

Clinton Liberty and Abubakar Salim in “Home of the Dragon.”
Credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO

You talked about the sense of bags, and there is a lot left unsaid between Alyn and Corlys. If you have been first approaching the character of Alyn, how have been you envisioning and growing his backstory?

I noticed him as all the time working on the shipyard earlier than Addam was born, form of retaining to himself. I believe he was very a lot an Addam kind of character, wanting and craving for nice, large issues and pondering that his life would change. He most likely by no means wished to chop his hair, though his mom most likely pressured him to take action, as a result of the menace in your life is far greater if you end up a bastard. There’s additionally a way of ready for his father to return again and take him and his mom away from the shitty life that that they had. However that by no means occurred, so he threw himself into work.

Then, as soon as Addam got here into play, that means that Corlys got here again, solely to desert them once more. I believe that was the killer. That is the place his coronary heart broke.

Funnily sufficient, there was an analogous factor that occurred to me when my father handed, the thought of being like, “Okay, I’ve bought to be the person of the home now. I’ve bought to guarantee that everybody’s wonderful; I’ve bought to make the cash, bought to do every part, and preserve everybody joyful.” That is basically the function that Alyn took, and he was going to be the anchor of the area.

What does it imply for him, in any case that, listening to from Corlys that Addam is a dragonrider now?

It is scary, as a result of it is such a change. It is the other of what he was ready for. He is simply heard of Princess Rhaenys’ dragon Meleys dying, so there’s the mentality that they don’t seem to be gods, they’re mortals. And if the Greens can try this to Rhaenys, what are they going to do to Addam?

So when Corlys tells Alyn, “Possibly it’s best to take a look and provides claiming a dragon a strive,” I believe 15-year-old Alyn would have, whereas proper now, Alyn could not consider something worse.

Abubakar Salim and Eve Finest in “Home of the Dragon.”
Credit score: Ollie Upton / HBO

See also  XR Game Trilogy Inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion in Development

Rhaenys is a sophisticated determine in Alyn’s life. How does Alyn really feel about her passing?

Loss of life is all the time exhausting and saddening, nevertheless it’s additionally simply part of life. With Rhaenys, it is virtually like listening to of a neighbor passing, in a means. Even politically, I believe Alyn thinks that the entire warfare is a bit foolish and silly, to be sincere. He is very conscious that it is not the lives of these increased up which can be at stake. It is the lowborn people who find themselves going to be sacrificing themselves for a petty household squabble.

Now that his brother’s within the mixture of it, it is even worse. It is much more scary. That does not imply that Alyn does not wish to interact within the warfare. He has a sense of loyalty to Corlys, and to the ocean, basically. However he does not need his brother to be part of that.

In episode 7, we lastly get the Sowing of the Seeds, and Alyn performs a little bit of a task because the recruiter of the Targaryen bastards in King’s Touchdown. What goes by way of his head when he will get this request from Corlys, as a bastard himself?

He is identical to, “Yeah, certain, I am going to do it. No matter. So long as you pay me, I am going to do it.” I do not assume he cares a lot for it. He does what he is advised to do… His strongest but weakest trait is his loyalty, which, for those who’ve learn Fireplace & Blood —

I used to be going to say, “Oh no!”

[Laughs] Yeah. However with Corlys’ request, his response comes from no matter will preserve Addam protected. Give it some thought: If we get extra dragons on our aspect, that signifies that Addam is much less prone to die. Improbable! He is all the time performing with the considered, “How ought to I preserve my brother protected and never concerned on this insanity as a lot as attainable?”

I really like that brotherly bond that Alyn and Addam share. Since each you and Clinton Liberty are coming onto this large ensemble present as new characters, what was it like working collectively and creating this relationship?

Oh, sensible. I really like Clinton. There’s a such a love and exquisite adoration for the artwork that I see in Clinton that basically jogs my memory of how nice every part is, and the way good these things is. We’re taking part in on the finish of the day. We’re children, you recognize, taking part in Dungeons and Dragons, mainly. And Clinton is such a power, simply such a superb, sensible human being. Forging the connection between us was really easy.

Abubakar Salim and Steve Toussaint in “Home of the Dragon.”
Credit score: Ollie Upton / HBO

And what was it like working with Steve Toussaint, as somebody who’s a veteran of the present already?

I used to be frightened, man. You see him on-screen, you are like, “This man’s a power. Like an precise unit.” However what’s nice is he is really essentially the most welcoming, grounded human being you’ll ever meet. He simply does his factor. And dealing with Steve, I discovered a hell of loads. I discovered to only benefit from the scene, benefit from the time.

There’s all the time a worry as an actor of coming right into a present when the entire crew is there, as a result of then you definately really feel a bit just like the outsider. However everybody has been so welcoming and made us really feel as if we have been there from the get-go.

You have been additionally in Raised by Wolves, one other large style present. What was one thing you discovered from that set that you simply dropped at Home of the Dragon’s?

What I’ve taken from it’s the ardour and love from all departments on a undertaking. We’re all a crew right here, proper? Nobody’s particular. You may actually really feel that.

On Raised by Wolves, you have bought Ridley Scott, who’s given me and Amanda [Collin] — I am not essentially saying that we’re unknowns, however we weren’t actually identified — an opportunity. However there was no sense of, “Why ought to we lead a present?” We have been all simply aiming for a similar factor, which is telling a narrative. That displays and resonates with Home of the Dragon as nicely. We’re not right here to be stars or be particular; we simply wish to get pleasure from and do our jobs. So I might say carrying that mentality of not making an attempt to take the limelight and being a crew participant has been a stunning tip.

Did you and Amanda, who performs Jeyne Arryn on Home of the Dragon, get an opportunity to reunite in any respect on the set?

We positively crossed paths, which was actually beautiful. We have been actually hoping for scenes collectively. It might have been so nice, as a result of she’s so nice to work reverse with. Once I was watching the episodes and listening to her, the very first thing I did was message her [to say], “Your accent is wonderful!”

I noticed within the behind-the-scenes video for episode 6 that the scene the place you shave your head was very technically demanding. If you’re becoming a member of a present of this scale, did you ever assume, “Shaving goes to be the hardest factor for me to take care of”?

No, in no way! However to be sincere, it is nice. It is so humorous, after Raised by Wolves, they’ll throw something at me, and I adore it. In that present, I needed to have make-up, painted contacts, dyed ginger hair, and the silver bloody swimsuit. So me placing glue on my head and shaving was like a dream. I used to be questioning how the hell they have been going to tug off the shaving, however that is the facility of an incredible crew: They are going to determine it out.

Any shot that you’ve got my face in, I’ve glue on my head with sprinkles of the Velaryon blonde hair. I might be shaving it, and the water would basically wipe the glue off. However any shut up with the precise sharp blade was another person’s head, and my barber’s arms are reducing it. They introduced within the barber I all the time go to, and he coached me on the best way to shave. He made it appear like that is one thing that I do on a regular basis.

That is unimaginable. And eventually, are you able to tease something for what the Season 2 finale would possibly maintain for Alyn?

You are positively going to see one thing totally different.

There is a shot of him within the trailer, the place he is in armor and on a ship. And each week, I am like, “The place is it?”

I keep in mind seeing that within the trailer and being like, “Guys, come on. Everybody’s gonna be on the lookout for that.” You may simply have to attend and see, nevertheless it’s certainly one of my favourite scenes all through the present.

The season finale of Home of the Dragon airs Aug. 4 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.