‘Doctor Who’ Actor and Disability Advocate Dies at 72
Nabil Shaban, the Jordanian-British actor and disability rights advocate, has passed away at the age of 72. He died on October 18, 2025, at his home in London.
Shaban was widely known for his role as Sil in the 1985 Doctor Who story Vengeance on Varos, and he reprised the character in later audio dramas and animated adaptations.
Born in Amman, Jordan, on February 12, 1953, Shaban lived with osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition that causes brittle bones.
He moved to England at age three to receive specialized medical care. Despite spending much of his early life in hospitals and residential homes, Shaban found a passion for storytelling and theater, drawing inspiration from his Jordanian heritage.
Shaban studied at the University of Surrey in the late 1970s. In 1980, he co-founded Graeae Theatre Company with Richard Tomlinson, creating a platform to showcase disabled performers.
The company received acclaim for productions such as The Emperor, Hamlet, and Fleshfly. Shaban’s stage work earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland in 2005 for his role as Mack the Knife in The Threepenny Opera. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Surrey in 1997 for his advocacy in the arts for disabled individuals.
In addition to his theater work, Shaban became a fan favorite for his portrayal of the sinister Sil in Doctor Who, appearing alongside Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He later returned to the role in audio dramas like Mission to Magnus (2009) and Antidote to Oblivion (2013). His performance left a lasting impression on fans of the long-running series.
Shaban is survived by his wife, Marcela Krystkova, whom he married in 2016, and his son, Zenyel Shaban-Rogers, from a previous relationship with Tina Leslie. A public memorial is being planned for early 2026 at the Graeae Theatre, where friends, colleagues, and fans will celebrate his life and legacy.
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