{"id":2069953,"date":"2026-07-30T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2069953"},"modified":"2026-07-30T07:00:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:00:43","slug":"abubakar-salim-is-ready-to-be-the-dashing-hero-of-house-of-the-dragon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2069953","title":{"rendered":"Abubakar Salim is ready to be the dashing hero of \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-photo-1.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2947849\" class=\"post-2947849 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Features<\/span><span>TV Interviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Abubakar Salim is ready to be the dashing hero of \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>As stoic warrior Alyn makes moves in Westeros\u2019 halls of power (and on a noble lady), the thoughtful actor behind him embraces the next stage of his career<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Nick Levine<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-30T08:00:43+01:00\">30th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-photo-1-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"House Of The Dragon&apos;s Abubakar Salim\" title=\"Abubakar Salim photo 1\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Abubakar Salim. CREDIT: Pawel Pysz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">A<\/strong>bubakar Salim was looking forward to a \u201creally chill\u201d week until he was needed on set. \u201cAll I\u2019ll say is it\u2019s Michaela Coel\u2018s new show,\u201d he confides, before going on to reveal a bit more than he\u2019s probably allowed. Salim has already completed a filming block in Ghana but this week\u2019s shoot is closer to home in east London. \u201cShe\u2019s a good mate of mine, I love her to bits,\u201d Salim says of Coel, the BAFTA-winning star and creator of 2020\u2019s savage revenge drama <i>I May Destroy You<\/i>. \u201cShe\u2019s also a force of nature.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: The best TV shows of 2026\u2026 so far!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The two actors met a decade ago when they shared a scene in \u2018Nosedive\u2019, a memorable episode of <i>Black Mirror <\/i>about a young woman obsessed with social media. \u201cMichaela was [playing] \u2018Airline Stewardess Number One\u2019 and I was \u2018Airport Security Guard Number Two,\u201d Salim recalls. \u201cBut since then, she\u2019s done everything. She\u2019s a superstar now.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Salim\u2019s rise has also been impressive \u2013 he developed the beautiful BAFTA-winning video game <i>Tales of Kenzera: Zau<\/i> and now stars in prestige fantasy series <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i> \u2013 but he\u2019s too modest to say so. When we meet at the British Film Institute caf\u00e9 in central London, where every other customer is tapping away on a laptop, Salim is full of apologies after arriving slightly late. He and his wife recently moved to Surrey with their one-year-old daughter, so he\u2019s still getting used to commuter trains. \u201cAnd now I\u2019m filming five minutes from my old patch in east London \u2013 ridiculous!\u201d he says with a smile.<\/p>\n<p>After fetching the coffees \u2013 a generous gesture that his loquacious conversation lives up to \u2013 Salim settles in to chat <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i>. He joined the preposterously epic <i>Game Of Thrones<\/i> spin-off in its second season as seafaring Alyn Of Hull, the bastard son of Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint). \u201cThe only thing I had to teach myself was patience,\u201d Salim says, \u201cbecause it\u2019s such a big show and for the whole of season two I was just waiting [to set sail] on that fucking dock!\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959686\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959686\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959686\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-photo-3.jpg\" alt=\"House Of The Dragon&apos;s Abubakar Salim\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2471\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959686\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abubakar Salim. CREDIT: Pawel Pysz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thankfully, Alyn has moved inland during season three, which is streaming weekly on HBO Max. If you\u2019re not fully up to date, brace yourself for spoilers. After being given the Velaryon name by his father \u2013 a hugely validating moment for Alyn, who was ashamed of being illegitimate \u2013 he now has a seat at the council of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D\u2019Arcy). \u201cI think that\u2019s enough for Alyn,\u201d Salim says. \u201cHe just wanted to be recognised and have that sense of family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, almost enough, anyway. In the latest episode, which aired on Monday (July 27), we see Alyn grow closer \u2013 much closer \u2013 to intrepid dragon-rider Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia). \u201cI don\u2019t want to bring race into it but, especially when I was growing up, the idea of a Black character being a love interest wasn\u2019t really a thing, unless you were watching something like [sporting romcom] <i>Love &amp; Basketball<\/i>,\u201d Salim says. \u201cI mean, it wasn\u2019t really a thing on such a huge, fantastical scale as this [show].\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe online stuff is all echo chambers, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>During its eight-season run in the 2010s, <i>Game Of Thrones <\/i>was roundly criticised for its lack of Black characters \u2013 a problem that afflicts the fantasy genre as a whole. <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i> has taken steps to redress the balance by casting Black actors as members of House Velaryon, who were depicted as having \u201csilver-gold hair, pale skin and violet eyes\u201d in George R.R. Martin\u2019s source novels.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Alyn and Baela\u2019s mid-episode kiss felt enormously affirming for Salim personally as an actor. \u201cThere was a real big sense of \u2018maybe I can be fucking dashing\u2019, you know,\u201d he says with palpable enthusiasm. He expects the couple\u2019s blossoming romance to wrongfoot fans who are still mourning Baela\u2019s previous lover, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), who was brutally murdered in episode one, and processing her rebound frisson with Alyn\u2019s younger brother, Addam (Clinton Liberty).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClinton\u2019s a fucking beautiful kid and incredibly charismatic, so even I would ship them,\u201d Salim says. \u201cSo when they see Baela get with misery guts over here, I know the fans will be like: \u2018What the hell?&#8217;\u201d Still, Salim doesn\u2019t seem too bothered by the constant discourse surrounding the show, which can get prickly. \u201cThe online stuff is all echo chambers, right?\u201d he says with a shrug. \u201cBut when I see a giant poster of my face on Tottenham Court Road, that\u2019s when I realise: \u2018Wow, this is big.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959692\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959692\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959692\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-in-HOTD.jpg\" alt=\"Abubakar Salim in &apos;House Of The Dragon&apos;. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959692\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abubakar Salim in \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 season three. CREDIT: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Salim\u2019s interest in acting began not with bingeing the latest must-see TV show, but with gaming. Growing up in Welwyn Garden City, a leafy commuter town 20 miles north of London, he rarely watched television and found reading a struggle because of his dyslexia. \u201cBut I really got into playing <i>Dungeons &amp; Dragons<\/i> with my friends,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Role-playing as a wizard or paladin provided an escape from the more regimented aspects of his upbringing.\u00a0 \u201cI remember having so much fun playing all these different characters because at home I was very much the young Muslim boy, the young African boy, attending [family] religious events where everyone was older than me.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe final goal is always about the truth and honesty I can bring to a project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>At this point, he shares a slightly spooky story. \u201cI was part of this little local theatre group where the drama teacher would put on competitions \u2013 pure physical theatre, nothing spoken. And I was playing Satan in <i>Dante\u2019s Inferno<\/i>, as you do,\u201d he recalls. \u201cAnyway, after the performance, this guy came up to me and said: \u2018Hey, you were good. You should consider doing this seriously.&#8217;\u201d Salim still has no idea who this encouraging stranger was. \u201cI have a feeling they were an angel or a ghost or something,\u201d he says without a hint of archness. \u201cBut whatever they were, they triggered something inside of me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So at 16, he applied for the National Youth Theatre (NYT), a subsidised arts programme that counts Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis and Idris Elba among its alumni. Salim was so bullish that he told himself he\u2019d take a different path \u2013 possibly joining the army \u2013 if he wasn\u2019t accepted on his first attempt. \u201cI was so green and so lucky,\u201d he says of acing his audition. \u201cI didn\u2019t realise then that hearing \u2018no\u2019 is a big part of an actor\u2019s life.\u201d Alongside his NYT sessions, he also took classes at the Identity School Of Acting, which aims to \u201cdisrupt the industry with a new, diverse generation of talent\u201d, where his classmates included John Boyega, Letitia Wright and Malachi Kirby.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959685\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959685\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-photo-2.jpg\" alt=\"House Of The Dragon&apos;s Abubakar Salim\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2471\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abubakar Salim. CREDIT: Pawel Pysz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Two years later, Salim received another affirming sign from the universe when he did a \u201cterrible\u201d audition for one drama school, but totally nailed another. Soon, he was studying at the prestigious London Academy Of Music And Dramatic Art (LAMDA) on a full scholarship. \u201cI always joke that I made more money at drama school than I did when I started working,\u201d he says knowingly.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t long before a life-changing opportunity was dangled in front of him. \u201cI auditioned for <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens<\/i> during drama school and I was convinced it was going to be me,\u201d Salim recalls, affecting an eye roll at his brash youthful confidence. \u201cNo way, no fucking way! Cut to John Boyega getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Salim had much bigger things to worry about. His father had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, so he spent his uni years shuttling between acting classes in London and his family home an hour away. The last time his father saw him perform was in a student production of <i>A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/i>. Poignantly, Salim went off-script to show his character offering tender patriarchal approval to his daughter, who had fallen in love with someone ill-advised.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tales of Kenzera: ZAU Official Reveal Trailer\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5lEbG0Bx83U?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>Salim lost his father as he was graduating but there was barely time to grieve. \u201cI was really fortunate to have got an agent and I was living the actor\u2019s dream: doing one job and having another lined up afterwards,\u201d he says. But in time, something had to give. Two months into a high-profile project that he declines to name out of respect for the actor who replaced him, Salim made the difficult decision to step away. \u201cI felt like this job was taking me away from healing and being able to digest everything,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd Michaela [Coel] gave me some really great advice: \u2018Think about how many other people are really desperate for this role. Why are you doing it if you\u2019re not enjoying it?&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since then, Salim has built up his career more mindfully. In 2017, he auditioned for what he was told was a \u201cnew animated TV show\u201d, but turned out to be the next major instalment in the <i>Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/i> games, <i>Origins<\/i>. Naturally, as a seasoned gamer, Salim rumbled the ruse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe [audition] director was laughing because I was telling him more about the franchise and what it means to be an assassin than he knew himself,\u201d Salim says with a laugh. But when he landed the role, his fondness for the franchise only added to the pressure.\u00a0 \u201cThe film was about to come out [starring Michael Fassbender], so it felt quite make-or-break at the time,\u201d Salim says. \u201cAnd honestly, I was terrified. Am I going to be the one who kills this franchise? But fortunately, the game did really well.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959702\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959702\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959702\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/House_Of_The_Dragon_Abubakar_Salim.jpg\" alt=\"House Of The Dragon\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959702\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alyn Of Hull (Abubakar Salim) amid \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 season three\u2019s Battle Of The Gullett. CREDIT: HBO\/Sky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then, after supporting roles in a couple of slightly underrated series \u2013 the historical romp <i>Jamestown<\/i> and Arctic thriller <i>Fortitude<\/i> \u2013 Salim landed a lead in the dystopian sci-fi drama <i>Raised By Wolves<\/i>. This lavish HBO Max series, which followed an android couple (Salim and Amanda Collin) as they brought up a human family on a remote space colony, ran for two seasons in 2020 and 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Ridley Scott, one of the show\u2019s executive producers, was so impressed that he cast Salim as a French Army general in his 2023 epic <i>Napoleon<\/i>. \u201cSomeone on Ridley\u2019s level saying \u2018yes\u2019 to me was a pivotal moment,\u201d Salim says. \u201cIt gave me the confidence to start telling my own stories.\u201d In 2020, Salim started his own gaming development company, Silver Rain, which he later renamed Surgent Studios. Four years later, his team won the BAFTAs\u2019 Game Beyond Entertainment accolade for <i>Tales Of Kenzera: Zau<\/i>, which was informed by Salim\u2019s Kenyan heritage and grief over his father.<\/p>\n<p>Now, thanks to <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i>\u2018s lengthy shoots and huge cast list, he can divide his trailer time between running lines and running a business. Any future acting role has to pass a firm but flexible threshold. \u201cObviously, life comes into it. Is it going to take me away from my family? Is it going to pay my rent?\u201d Salim says. \u201cBut I think the final goal is always about the truth and honesty I can bring to a project, otherwise it will just be a shitshow. I learned early on not to do something for the sake of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 season three airs weekly on Mondays in the UK on Sky Atlantic and streams on NOW and HBO Max<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Game of Thrones<\/li>\n<li>House of the Dragon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_content td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row tdc-element-style\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-block td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-custom-spot tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span 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class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Rachel Chinouriri announces new album \u2018I Think I Spoke Too Soon\u2019 with sonic single \u2018One Song Away From Crying\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_104\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_105  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_107  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_109 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">A<\/strong>bubakar Salim was looking forward to a \u201creally chill\u201d week until he was needed on set. \u201cAll I\u2019ll say is it\u2019s Michaela Coel\u2018s new show,\u201d he confides, before going on to reveal a bit more than he\u2019s probably allowed. Salim has already completed a filming block in Ghana but this week\u2019s shoot is closer to home in east London. \u201cShe\u2019s a good mate of mine, I love her to bits,\u201d Salim says of Coel, the BAFTA-winning star and creator of 2020\u2019s savage revenge drama <i>I May Destroy You<\/i>. \u201cShe\u2019s also a force of nature.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: The best TV shows of 2026\u2026 so far!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The two actors met a decade ago when they shared a scene in \u2018Nosedive\u2019, a memorable episode of <i>Black Mirror <\/i>about a young woman obsessed with social media. \u201cMichaela was [playing] \u2018Airline Stewardess Number One\u2019 and I was \u2018Airport Security Guard Number Two,\u201d Salim recalls. \u201cBut since then, she\u2019s done everything. She\u2019s a superstar now.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Salim\u2019s rise has also been impressive \u2013 he developed the beautiful BAFTA-winning video game <i>Tales of Kenzera: Zau<\/i> and now stars in prestige fantasy series <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i> \u2013 but he\u2019s too modest to say so. When we meet at the British Film Institute caf\u00e9 in central London, where every other customer is tapping away on a laptop, Salim is full of apologies after arriving slightly late. He and his wife recently moved to Surrey with their one-year-old daughter, so he\u2019s still getting used to commuter trains. \u201cAnd now I\u2019m filming five minutes from my old patch in east London \u2013 ridiculous!\u201d he says with a smile.<\/p>\n<p>After fetching the coffees \u2013 a generous gesture that his loquacious conversation lives up to \u2013 Salim settles in to chat <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i>. He joined the preposterously epic <i>Game Of Thrones<\/i> spin-off in its second season as seafaring Alyn Of Hull, the bastard son of Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint). \u201cThe only thing I had to teach myself was patience,\u201d Salim says, \u201cbecause it\u2019s such a big show and for the whole of season two I was just waiting [to set sail] on that fucking dock!\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959686\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959686\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959686\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-photo-3.jpg\" alt=\"House Of The Dragon&apos;s Abubakar Salim\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2471\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959686\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abubakar Salim. CREDIT: Pawel Pysz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thankfully, Alyn has moved inland during season three, which is streaming weekly on HBO Max. If you\u2019re not fully up to date, brace yourself for spoilers. After being given the Velaryon name by his father \u2013 a hugely validating moment for Alyn, who was ashamed of being illegitimate \u2013 he now has a seat at the council of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D\u2019Arcy). \u201cI think that\u2019s enough for Alyn,\u201d Salim says. \u201cHe just wanted to be recognised and have that sense of family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, almost enough, anyway. In the latest episode, which aired on Monday (July 27), we see Alyn grow closer \u2013 much closer \u2013 to intrepid dragon-rider Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia). \u201cI don\u2019t want to bring race into it but, especially when I was growing up, the idea of a Black character being a love interest wasn\u2019t really a thing, unless you were watching something like [sporting romcom] <i>Love &amp; Basketball<\/i>,\u201d Salim says. \u201cI mean, it wasn\u2019t really a thing on such a huge, fantastical scale as this [show].\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe online stuff is all echo chambers, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>During its eight-season run in the 2010s, <i>Game Of Thrones <\/i>was roundly criticised for its lack of Black characters \u2013 a problem that afflicts the fantasy genre as a whole. <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i> has taken steps to redress the balance by casting Black actors as members of House Velaryon, who were depicted as having \u201csilver-gold hair, pale skin and violet eyes\u201d in George R.R. Martin\u2019s source novels.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Alyn and Baela\u2019s mid-episode kiss felt enormously affirming for Salim personally as an actor. \u201cThere was a real big sense of \u2018maybe I can be fucking dashing\u2019, you know,\u201d he says with palpable enthusiasm. He expects the couple\u2019s blossoming romance to wrongfoot fans who are still mourning Baela\u2019s previous lover, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), who was brutally murdered in episode one, and processing her rebound frisson with Alyn\u2019s younger brother, Addam (Clinton Liberty).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClinton\u2019s a fucking beautiful kid and incredibly charismatic, so even I would ship them,\u201d Salim says. \u201cSo when they see Baela get with misery guts over here, I know the fans will be like: \u2018What the hell?&#8217;\u201d Still, Salim doesn\u2019t seem too bothered by the constant discourse surrounding the show, which can get prickly. \u201cThe online stuff is all echo chambers, right?\u201d he says with a shrug. \u201cBut when I see a giant poster of my face on Tottenham Court Road, that\u2019s when I realise: \u2018Wow, this is big.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959692\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959692\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959692\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-in-HOTD.jpg\" alt=\"Abubakar Salim in &apos;House Of The Dragon&apos;. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959692\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abubakar Salim in \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 season three. CREDIT: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Salim\u2019s interest in acting began not with bingeing the latest must-see TV show, but with gaming. Growing up in Welwyn Garden City, a leafy commuter town 20 miles north of London, he rarely watched television and found reading a struggle because of his dyslexia. \u201cBut I really got into playing <i>Dungeons &amp; Dragons<\/i> with my friends,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Role-playing as a wizard or paladin provided an escape from the more regimented aspects of his upbringing.\u00a0 \u201cI remember having so much fun playing all these different characters because at home I was very much the young Muslim boy, the young African boy, attending [family] religious events where everyone was older than me.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe final goal is always about the truth and honesty I can bring to a project\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>At this point, he shares a slightly spooky story. \u201cI was part of this little local theatre group where the drama teacher would put on competitions \u2013 pure physical theatre, nothing spoken. And I was playing Satan in <i>Dante\u2019s Inferno<\/i>, as you do,\u201d he recalls. \u201cAnyway, after the performance, this guy came up to me and said: \u2018Hey, you were good. You should consider doing this seriously.&#8217;\u201d Salim still has no idea who this encouraging stranger was. \u201cI have a feeling they were an angel or a ghost or something,\u201d he says without a hint of archness. \u201cBut whatever they were, they triggered something inside of me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So at 16, he applied for the National Youth Theatre (NYT), a subsidised arts programme that counts Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis and Idris Elba among its alumni. Salim was so bullish that he told himself he\u2019d take a different path \u2013 possibly joining the army \u2013 if he wasn\u2019t accepted on his first attempt. \u201cI was so green and so lucky,\u201d he says of acing his audition. \u201cI didn\u2019t realise then that hearing \u2018no\u2019 is a big part of an actor\u2019s life.\u201d Alongside his NYT sessions, he also took classes at the Identity School Of Acting, which aims to \u201cdisrupt the industry with a new, diverse generation of talent\u201d, where his classmates included John Boyega, Letitia Wright and Malachi Kirby.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959685\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959685\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-photo-2.jpg\" alt=\"House Of The Dragon&apos;s Abubakar Salim\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2471\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abubakar Salim. CREDIT: Pawel Pysz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Two years later, Salim received another affirming sign from the universe when he did a \u201cterrible\u201d audition for one drama school, but totally nailed another. Soon, he was studying at the prestigious London Academy Of Music And Dramatic Art (LAMDA) on a full scholarship. \u201cI always joke that I made more money at drama school than I did when I started working,\u201d he says knowingly.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t long before a life-changing opportunity was dangled in front of him. \u201cI auditioned for <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens<\/i> during drama school and I was convinced it was going to be me,\u201d Salim recalls, affecting an eye roll at his brash youthful confidence. \u201cNo way, no fucking way! Cut to John Boyega getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Salim had much bigger things to worry about. His father had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, so he spent his uni years shuttling between acting classes in London and his family home an hour away. The last time his father saw him perform was in a student production of <i>A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/i>. Poignantly, Salim went off-script to show his character offering tender patriarchal approval to his daughter, who had fallen in love with someone ill-advised.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tales of Kenzera: ZAU Official Reveal Trailer\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5lEbG0Bx83U?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>Salim lost his father as he was graduating but there was barely time to grieve. \u201cI was really fortunate to have got an agent and I was living the actor\u2019s dream: doing one job and having another lined up afterwards,\u201d he says. But in time, something had to give. Two months into a high-profile project that he declines to name out of respect for the actor who replaced him, Salim made the difficult decision to step away. \u201cI felt like this job was taking me away from healing and being able to digest everything,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd Michaela [Coel] gave me some really great advice: \u2018Think about how many other people are really desperate for this role. Why are you doing it if you\u2019re not enjoying it?&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since then, Salim has built up his career more mindfully. In 2017, he auditioned for what he was told was a \u201cnew animated TV show\u201d, but turned out to be the next major instalment in the <i>Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/i> games, <i>Origins<\/i>. Naturally, as a seasoned gamer, Salim rumbled the ruse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe [audition] director was laughing because I was telling him more about the franchise and what it means to be an assassin than he knew himself,\u201d Salim says with a laugh. But when he landed the role, his fondness for the franchise only added to the pressure.\u00a0 \u201cThe film was about to come out [starring Michael Fassbender], so it felt quite make-or-break at the time,\u201d Salim says. \u201cAnd honestly, I was terrified. Am I going to be the one who kills this franchise? But fortunately, the game did really well.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959702\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959702\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959702\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/House_Of_The_Dragon_Abubakar_Salim.jpg\" alt=\"House Of The Dragon\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959702\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alyn Of Hull (Abubakar Salim) amid \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 season three\u2019s Battle Of The Gullett. CREDIT: HBO\/Sky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then, after supporting roles in a couple of slightly underrated series \u2013 the historical romp <i>Jamestown<\/i> and Arctic thriller <i>Fortitude<\/i> \u2013 Salim landed a lead in the dystopian sci-fi drama <i>Raised By Wolves<\/i>. This lavish HBO Max series, which followed an android couple (Salim and Amanda Collin) as they brought up a human family on a remote space colony, ran for two seasons in 2020 and 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Ridley Scott, one of the show\u2019s executive producers, was so impressed that he cast Salim as a French Army general in his 2023 epic <i>Napoleon<\/i>. \u201cSomeone on Ridley\u2019s level saying \u2018yes\u2019 to me was a pivotal moment,\u201d Salim says. \u201cIt gave me the confidence to start telling my own stories.\u201d In 2020, Salim started his own gaming development company, Silver Rain, which he later renamed Surgent Studios. Four years later, his team won the BAFTAs\u2019 Game Beyond Entertainment accolade for <i>Tales Of Kenzera: Zau<\/i>, which was informed by Salim\u2019s Kenyan heritage and grief over his father.<\/p>\n<p>Now, thanks to <i>House Of The Dragon<\/i>\u2018s lengthy shoots and huge cast list, he can divide his trailer time between running lines and running a business. Any future acting role has to pass a firm but flexible threshold. \u201cObviously, life comes into it. Is it going to take me away from my family? Is it going to pay my rent?\u201d Salim says. \u201cBut I think the final goal is always about the truth and honesty I can bring to a project, otherwise it will just be a shitshow. I learned early on not to do something for the sake of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 season three airs weekly on Mondays in the UK on Sky Atlantic and streams on NOW and HBO Max<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/tv-interviews\/abubakar-salim-house-of-the-dragon-alyn-star-wars-michaela-coel-3959682&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Abubakar-Salim-photo-1.jpg&#8221;] FeaturesTV Interviews Abubakar Salim is ready to be the dashing hero of \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 As stoic warrior Alyn makes moves in Westeros\u2019 halls of power (and on a noble lady), the thoughtful actor behind him embraces the next stage of his career By Nick Levine 30th July 2026 Abubakar Salim. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2069953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2069953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069953\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2069953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2069953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2069953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}