Nabil Shaban
Known for Acting
Nabil Shaban (1953-2025) was born in Amman, Jordan and arrived in England when he was three for treatment for his osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle-bone disease). He spent the next six years in hospital and seven in a children's home. In 1980, he and Richard Tomlinson founded Graeae (pronounced Grey Eye), a professional theatre company of disabled performers. A writer and performer with many film and television credits, he was probably best known to television viewers for his role as ruthless businessman Sil in the Doctor Who stories 'Vengeance on Varos' and 'The Trial of a Time Lord' (BBC, 1985 + 1986).
Filmography
Children of Men
2006
as Bexhill Market Hustler
Wittgenstein
1993
as Martian
City of Joy
1992
as Anouar
Born of Fire
1987
as The Silent One
Walter
1982
as Ben Gunn
Skallagrigg
1994
as Alan
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos
1985
as Sil
Slave of Dreams
1995
as Soothsayer
Sorry About Last Night
1995
as Lawyer
The Story of Doctor Who
2003
Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor
2019
as Sil
Raspberry Ripple
1986
as Bill
Doctor Who: Mindwarp
1986
as Sil
A Different Hand
1992
as The Best Friend
A Different Hand
1992
Writer
Billy's Christmas Angels
1988
as Charlie
Deptford Graffiti
1991
as George
Vote Sil
—
as Sil
The Doctors: More Monsters!
2019
Iranian Nights
1989
as Caliph