Abubakar Salim extends his gratitude towards House of the Dragon fans who defend him against racist online comments.

Abubakar Salim, who played Alyn of Hull in HBO’s House of the Dragon, speaks out on the racist comments he has received from online fans. Apart from being an actor, he is also a video game developer who created Tales of Kenzera: Zau through his own studio.

Credits: Abubakar Salim in House of the Dragon / HBO

Upon the release of the game, which he dedicated to his late father, he fell victim to several racial slurs and abusive words. Not only that, his casting in the famed fantasy show also invited negative comments from fans.

Abubakar Salim Claps Back at Racist Fans

Abubakar Salim, who hails from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, revealed in an interview with BBC how shocked he was after he became the target of online hate right after he released the video game he created for his deceased father. In a powerful video message, he responded to the despicable comments he had been receiving.

We are being faced with constant targeted harassment from people who see diversity as a threat, from people who look across the vast landscape of modern media and decide that anything that doesn’t speak to them or centers around them is unnecessary or inauthentic.

Racism is still prevalent in the entertainment industry, but Salim is grateful that he has the House of the Dragon community to support and defend him. He plays the dragonseed son of Steve Toussaint’s Corlys Velaryon in the prequel series.

Credits: Abubakar Salim and Steve Toussaint in House of the Dragon / HBO

The actor extends his gratitude to the fans who make it a point to tell the haters they should learn to discern fiction from reality. In this case, whenever haters make stupid comments, they would fire back and say: “You’re OK with dragons, but Black people cross the line?”

In his conversation with The Guardian, he mentioned how some viewers would suspend their disbelief in mythical creatures like dragons, but when there’s a Black guy on the screen, they get frustrated.

Salim pointed out that this issue goes beyond the world of gaming and the television industry. It is a real-world problem that must be stopped because it only creates a barrier that divides people. It only gets in the way of enjoying life and becoming truly happy.

Abubakar Salim is Excited for Alyn of Hull’s Future in House of the Dragon

Credits: Abubakar Salim in House of the Dragon / HBO

Salim shared what fans will have to expect from his role in the Game of Thrones spinoff. He revealed via Decider that he already knows where he is going and he is excited about what the future holds.

Since he has read George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, he is aware of the differences between the novel and the show’s version. “How do we get from that character to the infamous character that we all know? That’s exciting,” he teased.

Salim’s Alyn will have a more significant role in the upcoming third season of the prequel series together with his brother Addam of Hull.

House of the Dragon is currently available to watch on HBO.