IN CONVERSATION WITH ABUBAKAR SALIM

interview by JANA LETONJA

Abubakar Salim continues to establish himself as one of the most multifaceted creative talents working today, balancing acclaimed performances on screen with groundbreaking storytelling in gaming. This summer, he returns to House of the Dragon as Alyn of Hull, whose story arc expands dramatically as the Targaryen civil war intensifies. As the rumored bastard son of Lord Corlys Velaryon, Alyn is poised to become a major force within the evolving political and emotional landscape of the series. Beyond acting, Abubakar recently earned the BAFTA Games Awards Game Beyond Entertainment award for Tales of Kenzera: Zau, the debut title from his studio Surgent Studios, a deeply personal project inspired by grief and the loss of his father. Known for standout roles in Raised by Wolves and Fortitude, he continues to push boundaries across mediums, building a career defined by emotional depth, imagination, and powerful storytelling.

Returning to House of the Dragon, how does Alyn of Hull evolve this season?

Dramatically. Season 2 introduced us to him. By the end of it, we saw Alyn challenge Corlys and become more vulnerable, so in Season 3, we explore that vulnerability.

What excited you most about exploring Alyn’s growing importance within the Targaryen civil war storyline?

The responsibility, and how that affects him. Also putting his experience and history to the test. Most of the decision-makers and important players in the civil war already come from a place of privilege. So to have a perspective from the ground up, like Addam, Hugh, Ulf, gives audiences something they can more closely relate to.

Alyn carries both ambition and emotional complexity. How do you approach balancing those qualities as an actor?

I relate it to my line of work. We all want to do well at what we do and put food on the table. We all want to feel comfortable. And in that, there's a sense of "putting yourself on the line" that's asked of us. Alyn is the same, he wants to succeed and make a name for himself, but he doesn't want it to be because of his father.

Why do you think audiences have become so invested in characters like Alyn within the House of the Dragon universe?

He's relatable. A man who just wants to provide for his family, who wasn't born with the privilege of money or status. That's 99% of the world. To see someone like Alyn grow, struggle and succeed is far more relatable than watching those who have the luxury of failure in what is already a difficult world.

What has surprised you most about the global response to the show?

The love for it has been great. I knew we owed audiences a lot when it comes to the story that needed to be told, and I'm just so happy it's been received this well. It's both wonderful and really humbling to see.

Beyond acting, you recently won a BAFTA Games Awards award for Tales of Kenzera: Zau. What did that recognition mean to you personally?

That I'm doing the right thing. The BAFTAs have such a special place in my heart, as they've really aided my career progression, connecting me with like-minded artists and providing a safe space to express myself. So to be awarded something so special, for a game so deeply personal about the loss of my father, confirms to me that I should keep doing what I'm doing, telling stories from an honest place, always.

The game explores grief and loss inspired by your father’s passing. How healing or emotional was that creative process?

It was incredibly emotional. I wouldn't say it was healing. That was the biggest surprise for me, I'd say. Not that I expected to come out the other end feeling healed from the grieving process, but I never set out to tell the story for that reason. What it did do was show people that you're never alone in grief. And that it's messy. And that it's okay that it's messy.

What inspired you to move into game development and launch Surgent Studios?

I have always wanted to tell stories through as many mediums as possible. It took the likes of Ridley Scott, however, saying "Go for it!" to give me the confidence to do so. A man who has seen everything and done everything saying "Hey, I wanna hear your stories" was the big push I needed to start leading on that front.

Do storytelling in gaming and acting fulfill different creative needs for you?

I think they fulfill the same desire to tell stories, it's just that the processes are vastly different, which keeps it interesting. There's also so much to learn from each that you can apply to the other, which is a fun discovery to make.

What challenges do you think still exist for diverse storytelling within fantasy and gaming spaces?

Authenticity. From both sides, audiences and creators. I've never been a fan of box-ticking that doesn't serve the story, but I also think it's incredibly ignorant to gatekeep, to suspend your disbelief for certain elements and not others. It's funny, I look at my daughter and how she plays with other kids. She's 3 and there's this sense of the world being her oyster. There's no "You can't do this or that," because it's all ultimately there to serve enjoyment and the sharing of a story. I feel like we lose that objective the older we get, because it's buried under all sorts of scars. So the biggest challenge, I feel, is to remember why we're all here taking these stories in and telling them. It's to have authentic, honest fun.

How important is cultural identity and emotional authenticity in the stories you choose to tell?

There's no denying it's part of who you are, but I'd say it's the flavour and colour of the stories told rather than the driving factor. For me, it's always been about exploring the human truth, that thing we can all resonate with and connect to, beyond race, gender or sexuality, that we can all deeply relate to. Once you have that answer, everything else provides the nuance and perspective that enlightens. It sounds quite airy-fairy, but it's true.

What excites you most creatively about the future — acting, gaming, or building entirely new worlds?

For me, it's that you can never run out of stories to tell. There's always something new, something different, something to be gained from them. That is so exciting.

TEAM CREDITS:

photography PAWEL PYSZ