‘Home of the Dragon’s Abubakar Salim breaks down Corlys and Alyn’s relationship – Cyber Tech

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

From 2020 to 2022, the actor and recreation 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 couple of 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 type of father-son relationship in Home of the Dragon. He performs Alyn of Hull, bastard youngster of Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and brother to newly minted dragonrider Addam (Clinton Liberty). At first 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 through 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 difficult relationship with Corlys, and the surprisingly difficult shaving scene from episode 6.

The next interview has been edited and condensed for readability.

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

It was “You make an artwork of frightening me,” [which Alyn says to Addam]. I bear in mind studying it and being like, “Oh, that’s the story of my life.” It is nearly such as you’re having fun with the truth that somebody is frightening you, regardless that 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 identical time I am actually aggravated by it.”

You had been directing Zau on the identical time that you just had been taking pictures Home of the Dragon. Each tasks have fascinating hyperlinks to fatherhood. Did you ever discover your work on one venture influencing the opposite?

Completely. Each take care of absent fathers, they usually are available every kind of types. In Zau, you’ve got a father who was beloved dearly and handed away too quickly. In Home of the Dragon, you’ve got a father who nearly handed away with none sense of acknowledgment. However the ghost of them nonetheless haunts you. It was actually fascinating that I used to be directing this recreation 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 realize? I ship the road to Addam, but it surely applies to all of your kin.

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

When Alyn seems to be at Corlys, there is a haunting ingredient of, “No, his father is useless.” His father would 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 a variety of fascinated by how Alyn is meant to be 15. He is purported to be younger, boisterous — a special man to the man that I am taking part in on-screen. That, to me, is fascinating, as a result of it implies that he is needed to reside with all of this baggage for therefore a few years. The entire relationship with Corlys is meant to be transactional, however there may be this deep craving for love that, though it is buried deep, nonetheless exists.

Alyn places that love and that type of significance on Addam. He loves his brother dearly, cares for him, and would not need him to to be in any type of hazard. Hell, now he is on a dragon. [Laughs] It is, like, probably 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 luggage, and there is a lot left unsaid between Alyn and Corlys. While you had been first approaching the character of Alyn, how had been you envisioning and creating his backstory?

I noticed him as all the time working on the shipyard earlier than Addam was born, type of conserving to himself. I believe he was very a lot an Addam sort of character, wanting and craving for excellent, massive issues and considering that his life would change. He in all probability by no means wished to chop his hair, regardless that his mom in all probability pressured him to take action, as a result of the risk in your life is way larger if you find yourself 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 suggests 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 identical factor that occurred to me when my father handed, the concept of being like, “Okay, I’ve received to be the person of the home now. I’ve received to be sure that everybody’s high-quality; I’ve received to make the cash, received to do every thing, and maintain everybody completely happy.” That is primarily the function that Alyn took, and he was going to be the anchor of the area.

What does it imply for him, in spite of everything 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 alternative of what he was ready for. He is simply heard of Princess Rhaenys’ dragon Meleys dying, so there’s the mentality that they aren’t gods, they’re mortals. And if the Greens can do this to Rhaenys, what are they going to do to Addam?

So when Corlys tells Alyn, “Perhaps it’s best to take a look and provides claiming a dragon a attempt,” 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

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

Demise is all the time laborious and saddening, but it surely’s additionally simply part of life. With Rhaenys, it is nearly like listening to of a neighbor passing, in a method. 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 larger up which are 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 would not wish to have interaction within the warfare. He has a sense of loyalty to Corlys, and to the ocean, primarily. However he would 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 means of his head when he will get this request from Corlys, as a bastard himself?

He is similar 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 suppose he cares a lot for it. He does what he is advised to do… His strongest but weakest trait is his loyalty, which, should you’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 maintain Addam protected. Give it some thought: If we get extra dragons on our facet, that implies that Addam is much less prone to die. Implausible! He is all the time performing with the considered, “How ought to I maintain my brother protected and never concerned on this insanity as a lot as doable?”

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

Oh, good. 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 thing is, and the way good these items is. We’re taking part in on the finish of the day. We’re youngsters, you realize, taking part in Dungeons and Dragons, principally. And Clinton is such a pressure, simply such an excellent, good 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 pressure. Like an precise unit.” However what’s nice is he is truly probably the most welcoming, grounded human being you’ll ever meet. He simply does his factor. And dealing with Steve, I realized a hell of rather a lot. I realized to simply benefit from the scene, benefit from the time.

There’s all the time a concern as an actor of coming right into a present when the entire group is there, as a result of you then 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 had been additionally in Raised by Wolves, one other massive style present. What was one thing you realized from that set that you just delivered to Home of the Dragon’s?

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

On Raised by Wolves, you’ve got received 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 had 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 take pleasure in and do our jobs. So I might say carrying that mentality of not making an attempt to take the limelight and being a group participant has been a beautiful 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 undoubtedly crossed paths, which was actually beautiful. We had been actually hoping for scenes collectively. It could 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 superb!”

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

No, by no means! However to be sincere, it is nice. It is so humorous, after Raised by Wolves, they will throw something at me, and I find it irresistible. In that present, I needed to have make-up, painted contacts, dyed ginger hair, and the silver bloody go well with. So me placing glue on my head and shaving was like a dream. I used to be questioning how the hell they had been going to drag off the shaving, however that is the facility of a tremendous crew: They are going to determine it out.

Any shot that you’ve 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 primarily wipe the glue off. However any shut up with the precise sharp blade was another person’s head, and my barber’s arms are slicing 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 seem like that is one thing that I do on a regular basis.

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

You are undoubtedly 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 bear in mind seeing that within the trailer and being like, “Guys, come on. Everybody’s gonna be searching for that.” You may simply have to attend and see, but it surely’s one in every 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.