‘Doctor Who’ Star and Champion for Disability Rights Passes Away at 72

Jordanian-British actor and disability advocate Nabil Shaban has died at the age of 72. He passed away on October 18, 2025, at his home in London. Shaban was widely known for his role as the villainous Sil in the 1985 Doctor Who story Vengeance on Varos (source: various reports).

Born on February 12, 1953, in Amman, Jordan, Shaban lived with osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition that makes bones brittle. At the age of three, he moved to England to receive specialized medical care. Growing up in hospitals and residential homes, Shaban discovered a love for storytelling, inspired by the oral traditions of his Jordanian heritage.

In the late 1970s, Shaban attended the University of Surrey. In 1980, he co-founded the Graeae Theatre Company with the late Richard Tomlinson. The company focused on giving disabled performers a platform and received praise for shows including The Emperor (1987), Hamlet (1988), and Fleshfly (1996).

Shaban’s role as Sil in Doctor Who brought him lasting recognition. He first appeared in Vengeance on Varos alongside Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant and returned in the 1986 story Mindwarp. He later reprised Sil in audio dramas such as Mission to Magnus (2009) and Antidote to Oblivion (2013), and in the animated film Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor.

On stage, Shaban earned acclaim for his work as well. He was nominated for Best Actor at the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland in 2005 for his performance as Mack the Knife in The Threepenny Opera. In 1997, the University of Surrey awarded him an honorary doctorate for his contributions to the arts and advocacy for disabled performers.

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 planned for early 2026 at Graeae Theatre, where friends and fans will honor his life and legacy.

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