‘House of the Dragon’ Star Abubakar Salim Is Quietly Plotting Alyn of Hull’s “Transformation” into the “Infamous” Oakenfist: “I Know Where He’s Going”

House of the Dragon Season 2 has invited a slew of new characters to the world of Westeros, many of them seemingly lowborn pawns who are secretly the illegitimate children of the Realm’s biggest, baddest powerbrokers. One such new addition to the HBO hit is Alyn of Hull ( Abubakar Salim ).

When we first meet Alyn all the way in the House of the Dragon Season 2 premiere, he appears to be another loyal sailor in service to Lord Corlys Velaryon ( Steve Toussaint ). He’s a stoic, stalwart figure, who only lightens up in the presence of his younger brother Addam ( Clinton Liberty ). However, as of last night’s House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7 “The Red Sowing,” it’s become clear that both Alyn and Addam are destined to play bigger parts in the war to come. Addam, of course, now rides the dragon Seasmoke. Alyn, on the other hand, remains Corlys’s most trusted and accomplished sailor. Oh — and we almost forgot — Addam and Alyn are Corlys’s secret bastard sons, and his only surviving male heirs.

Decider caught up with House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim last week and chatted with the actor/video game designer about all things Alyn of Hull. Salim divulged that he’s not only read all of Fire & Blood , but combed fan reddit boards before playing the character. Alyn is a slight 15-year-old at this time in Martin’s books and Salim understands that aging up the character for the show affects his inner life.

In our Zoom conversation, Abubakar Salim not only reflected on the last seven episodes of House of the Dragon , but he teased the ways in which he’s looking forward to Alyn of Hull’s potential transformation into a powerful sealord known as the “Oakenfist” in the books. Not only that, but Salim happily opened up about his abruptly cancelled Max show, Raised By Wolves , and what it was like seeing former co-star and scene partner Amanda Collin pop up in Westeros this season, too…

DECIDER: The question I ask everyone who’s joining House of the Dragon is how much research have you done into your character? Because I know some of the main cast, they take it script by script. They don’t want to know more in case showrunner Ryan Condal changes the storyline. I know that Bethany Antonia and Kieran Bew did all the research and know everything about what happens to their characters in the books. How did you approach Alyn in this case?

ABUBAKAR SALIM: Yeah, I did too much. I did everything. I thought it was really important to kind of know essentially what I’m going into, where I’m playing, what I’m doing, who I am because then it just allows me to then have my own imprint on it and have my own sort of events. I feel like, in a way, knowledge is kind of a bit like power.  So essentially that was it, right? It was like for me, it was important to read the book. It was important to scour over Reddit, you know, to see what people’s thoughts are as well. I wanted to touch base with as much knowledge as I could, because then whatever the decisions I do make, I feel like they’re coming from me, myself and I.

Speaking of which, in the books he’s fifteen around the time of the series and he’s eventually becomes a bit more of a swashbuckler compared to your character right now, who’s very stoic and seems very compressed in his own skin. So how much did you know that you had to change from the books or how did you make it your own?

Yeah, it’s an interesting one, right? You know, especially with the age, right? Because when you think of an age of a character — I mean, I was very different at fifteen, than I am now, right? So there is a different mentality, a different approach, a different take on stuff. Especially when the responsibility of everything comes onto your shoulders at such a young age. But I think for me — and when I was talking to Ryan about this as well — the age actually wasn’t as important as it should be in the sense of what really mattered, which was the relationships between the family. The relationship I have with Addam, the relationship I have with Corlys, that was the bread and butter, the key of of wrangling this. What adds an interesting take, obviously, is living with that for many many years. You know, growing up, you’re getting older, the kind of the scars that develop… So that was why it was really fascinating and really interesting to kind of dive into it at the age that I am at with this character. Then looking at Addam, the age that he is. You know, he’s very much the younger brother. There’s so much more depth to be mined from someone who’s been on the earth a lot longer than someone who’s fifteen.

‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episode 7 Preview Teases New Dragon Riders, from Addam and Seasmoke to Prince Daeron and Rhaena

I’m thinking of Addam. You know, that’s obviously the closest relationship that he has, with his brother. Corlys breaks the news to Alyn that Addam is now a dragon rider in Episode 7. How is that potentially going to change that brotherly relationship?

It raises the stakes. I think the threat to Addam’s life now is a lot higher. There is, of course, the brilliance of being a dragon rider, right? But like, we’ve just heard the news of the death of one, you know? We’ve learned that these beasts aren’t gods; they are just animals. I think with Alyn, he always knew where his brother was. He always knew where his brother was based and I think there was safety in that. I could throw my life to sea and kind of come out of it because I know I’m good at it, I know I can do it. Whereas, I don’t know what my brother can or can’t do. But the idea that he’s now got a dragon, it’s just like, “Wait, what?” It’s like, you know, if he was maybe President tomorrow. You know what I mean? That doesn’t compute. So I think for me and for Alyn, really, it’s a feeling of anxiety. A bit of fear and I think, again, it’s just that the stakes are so much higher now.

You mentioned that there’s been word of another dragon rider dying, which was Rhaenys. You have a really beautiful poignant scene with Eve Best earlier on the season, where she seems to accept Alyn in a way that Corlys cannot. What did you make of working with Eve Best on that scene, and what did you take away?

Yeah. Eve is phenomenal and think that whole episode, actually, it was something. One, working opposite Eve is almost like working opposite an angel because she is just kind of ethereal, just brilliant. The kind of the power that she emanates, as well, is really, as an actor, there’s a lot to kind of take from that. I think the one thing I feel, which was really cool about the scene and about working opposite of her, was even when the camera wasn’t rolling, we weren’t even talking about the scene. We’re kind of avoiding the subject and that’s essentially what the scene is. It’s avoiding really the reality of it all.

Yeah, I feel like, really, truly, Alyn was more concerned about his life because, again, that is a scary position to be in. Wen the fact that I was able to walk away from it, this is kind of like a blessing in itself. It’s almost like an otherworldly scene. I’m talking to the princess in a way. Why should that ever happen to me? A sailor who just works under Corylys’s thumb, right?

We learned last week that your character has the Velaryon silver hair and has to shave it. I know from the behind the scenes features, there was a lot of behind the scenes trickery to get that shaving done. More practically, how is he managing to do that at sea when the waves are rocking the boats?

Yeah, I think there is something about Alyn where it’s something he will do. There is almost a stubbornness about what he does and why he does something and does it every day. It’s meticulous, it’s ritualistic. He will do it, you know. He’s got sea legs, he’s got sea arms. He is of the sea. So shaving his head, you know, he could be shaving his head and holding a cup of tea while doing it. I think that there is this sense of like, he’s probably even better doing it on sea than actual land.

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On that note, if Corlys recognizes his sons, do you think Alyn would still shave his head or would he own the silver hair of House Velayron?

Yeah, it’s interesting. I don’t know yet and it’s funny. It’s a question that I keep asking myself. I mean, as Abu, I think I love the idea of rocking some cool dreads, but like, as the character? Yeah, I don’t know, I don’t know. I guess it just depends on where his head is at the time of that acceptance and where the writers place Alyn and Addam in that moment because I feel like he’s done it for so long. And this is the difference right? Between a fifteen-year-old and some one who’s older. Habits are formed and it’s hard to break. So whether it’s something that he wants to do or not, I don’t know.

In this week’s episode, I was really struck when your character tells Corlys that he’s of “Salt and Sea” and he doesn’t yearn for anything else. What do you think it means for him to say that to Corlys and do you think he truly does not yearn for anything else? Or is there something he perhaps does yearn for?

I think he did, but I don’t think he does anymore. I think he’s buried that and he has no interest in unearthing it. Which is why, you know, where the saying at my home is “I’m Salt and Sea,” is what is true. I think that this is really, truly where I am and what I am good at. I know for a fact that there is no one better than me at doing what I do and I think that there is that sense with Alyn because it’s all his. It’s what he identifies with and who identifies him. I think there is no yearning for the great idea of being within Corlys’s station or whatever. I think that there was a real fire there when he was younger, that he wanted and yearned for. Then repeatedly to have to see his brother go through this same thing, I think is where the reality of it all died as a whole.

In this episode, too, Alyn is charged with the secret mission to go to Dragonstone, which shows that Corlys does trust him. Alyn obviously follows orders. He’s stalwart like that, but what do you think he personally feels about Rhaenyra’s schemes to bring in Targaryen bastards for this dangerous mission?

I don’t think he cares, you know? I think he just does it. You tell him where to go, and he’ll do it and he’ll do it well. Even with the whole politics of it all, he doesn’t really — it’s like, I don’t really care what you do as long as my brother’s alright, you know? I think in my mind, as well, I think there is a sense of just needing to, I guess he’s trying to prove himself to himself always. He can do whatever has been assigned to him. It’s funny, I keep thinking about: Is he Team Black or is he Team Green? And I think the character that I feel like I’m playing in the show is simply just Team Addam. It’s all he cares about. He cares about his brother, cares about his brother’s safety. So wherever his brother is, he’ll do everything he can to help that.

Your character is quite stoic this season. I think of you as a very smiley, happy, jolly dude. What would it take to get your character to smile?

Oh, man. Probably Addam. Probably him just jiving and jesting and picking at me. I think he’s the only one who can make me laugh. Yeah, I don’t think many people can and I think that again is the harsh reality and the sadness of where I think Alyn’s head is at. I don’t think he talks to many people about where his head is at. I think that sort of, he’s in his head a lot. The only person he might open up to is Addam.

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You mentioned that you’ve done all the research, so you know a bit about where his story is going, and he kind of transforms into quite, you know, the adventurer, the lover. He’s got famous women chasing him.

I know.

Are you seeding anything of that under the surface?

I think that’s the thing and that’s what I mean by like, you know, there is such a transformation that I am so excited to dive into with Alyn. Again, as I said, there’s so much riding on Addam for him. Addam is his anchor. There’s a reason why I’m stoic and it is because there’s so much on my mind. But as long as I can focus on the work, on keeping my brother safe, that’s where I’m at. If one of those things go away, who is Alyn? I think that’s why my mind is very much on the mentality of like, “Okay, just focus on doing what you’re good at.” Yeah, but I know where he’s going. I really wanted to set up myself that challenge of, okay, you’ve got this character who, when we meet in the books, is much younger, much more kind of all over the shop and crazy, but then gets thrown this responsibility and has to then deal with that. Whereas now with the show, he’s older, he’s had to live with the harsh realities of life. How do we get from that character to the infamous character that we all know? That’s exciting. So that’s something that I really want to kind of dive into.

I love Raised by Wolves . Your former co-star Amanda Collin also appears in House of the Dragon this season. I was so happy. Because I’ve seen you on House of the Dragon , I’ve seen Travis Fimmel cast in Dune: Prophecy . I’m like, “Where is HBO going to put Amanda Collin next?” Do you keep in touch? Are you scheming to get a Lady Jeyne Arryn/Alyn crossover scene?

Yeah, we don’t have a scene yet. I’m really dying for one. But, like, you know,  Amanda’s amazing. I remember when she was here filming and reached out to me, and it’s just so lovely seeing Amanda. She’s such a joy , man. And it was such a shame with Raised by Wolves because I really enjoyed that show mainly because of the people. It’s really nice to be reunited with her. I just wish they were all back, you know? [Laughs]

We’ll have to work on that. Getting everyone on the [ House of the Dragon ] cast.

I know. I’ll just have to talk to [casting director] Kate Rhodes James and be like, “Hey, can we just, you know, maybe?”

This interview has been formatted and edited for clarity .

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