Aki Omoshaybi On BBC’s Silent Witness Series Twenty-six

Keeping People At Arm’s Length

The BBC’s Silent Witness returns for a twenty-sixth series and here’s one of its new cast members, Aki Omoshaybi, who plays Gabriel, talking about the new run…

How would you describe your character, Gabriel? 

He keeps people at arm’s length until he knows he can trust them. As a data expert, he doesn’t speculate much, he’s very fact-based. But as Gabriel starts to work with Nikki and Jack, he realises they are more hands-on. He sees there are two ways of working and they complement each other.   

We find Gabriel at a juncture in his life, realising that it’s possible to marry those two sides. He has to understand he’s dealing with humans, and not just computer screens. His new colleagues have to coax him out of his comfort zone. And during the series, he learns how to compromise a bit.  

Does Gabriel have to get stuck in himself? 

Yes. The first time he starts to understand the importance of more hands-on work is when he turns up to a pig farm to help Nikki out. He hasn’t done that sort of work with his feet on the ground in a number of years. He turns up in a smart suit and swish car, but he soon realises he’s got to get his hands dirty, analysing pig’s guts! He’s really thrown in the deep end.  

How did your first post-mortem scene go? 

Oh, the nerves! I felt like I was doing a post-mortem in real life. That’s how nervous I was about it. I thought I was stepping into a real morgue. There’s a body on the slab and you’re not used to seeing a body open. It’s a visceral experience. If you have never seen the innards of a body before, it’s extraordinary. The make–up team and the props department make it so real and, I was about to say, bring it to life, but that’s the wrong phrase for a dead body! Anyway, it’s a lot! 

How did you cope with the medical terminology? 

That was really challenging as well. I had a big monologue in one of my first scenes. I felt like I was in The Twilight Zone! But the main thing was, I wanted to rise to the challenge. I know the detail that goes into these post-mortems because my brother is a doctor himself. He watches Silent Witness from a forensic, medical stance, and he says the way they recreate post mortems is very, very good. He studied at Cambridge and he and his old colleagues from university love the show. They say it’s very thorough, the fact that they think it’s so realistic is the ultimate tribute to the show. But it also put a bit of pressure on me! 

Did the other cast members help you in the post-mortem sequences? 

Definitely. I was acting opposite Emilia who’s been doing it for so long. She’s a genius. She was fantastic in encouraging me. The generosity of everyone on set was amazing.  

Finally, what was the reaction of your doctor brother to the news that you were going to have a major part in Silent Witness? 

He’s really obsessed with the show, and he was stoked when I told him. I’ve never seen him more excited in my life – not on my wedding day or on the day my daughter was born! My brother was absolutely delighted by the news, like you couldn’t believe. He was swinging from the rafters!