David Proud

Proud was picked by BBC producer Ewan Marshall to play one of the leads in the 2007 CBBC series Desperados, a children's drama starring the paralympic wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan. As Proud had not had any drama training since leaving school, the BBC sent him for coaching to prepare him for television work. In the series he played Charlie Johnson, a mixed-up teenager—although Proud was 23 at the time—dealing with the impact of becoming paralysed by a spinal injury suffered during a school football match. Charlie enters the world of wheelchair basketball after being persuaded to join the Desperados team by their coach, Baggy Awolowo (Adepitan).[6][9]

Since Desperados, Proud went on to be involved in various other projects.[5][7] He co-presented an episode of the BBC Three documentary series Mischief, "Is it cos I is Black", in 2007. He appeared as the character Blake in the second series of ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl in 2008.[10]

He played Adam Best, the son of Josie Lawrence's character Manda Best, in the BBC One soap opera, EastEnders from 2009 to 2010. The show's executive producer, Diederick Santer, described Proud as, "a fine young actor with a wonderfully dry comic delivery". The BBC stated that this is the first instance of a visibly disabled, regular character on the show being played by a disabled actor.[11]

In 2012, Proud appeared in the BBC drama Doctors, and alongside Eddie Marsan and Rob Brydon in the BBC drama Best of Men. In 2014, Proud appeared in the BBC Three sitcom Siblings. In 2015, he appeared in Paul Abbott's Channel 4 comedy drama No Offence.[10]

In 2018, he appeared as lead regular "Joel" in the second series of crime drama series Marcella for ITV and Netflix.[12]

Proud has worked with British independent film director and producer Justin Edgar on three films. He played Scott, a geeky paraplegic who makes a behind-the-scenes documentary following a group of other disabled film students, in the 2007 feature film Special People.[13][14] Proud played Holocaust victim Ernst in the 2008 short Hunger House.[15] In 2012 he also appeared in N.F.A. – No Fixed Abode starring Patrick Baladi.[2] View London's film critic Matthew Turner viewed Proud's performance in Special People positively, praising his "great comic timing and a winning way with a one-liner."[14] Proud has enjoyed his film work, stating that "small British independent films are possibly the best thing you can do as an actor".[16]

In 2014, Proud filmed (in his words) "a game changing film" and "a British Film making first": as a disabled actor he took the role of a non-disabled character in a lead role on the UK feature film iWitness. He was also one of the producers of the film, which was the first time he had produced at a feature film level.[17]

In 2019 David directed a BFI/Uncertain Kingdom funded film Verisimilitude which had its World Premiere at Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and won "Best of Fest" at Superfest International Disability Film Festival. It was meant to be theatrically released via Uncertain Kingdom and Verve Pictures but the Covid-19 pandemic led to an online SVOD release on BFI Player, iTunes, Apple TV Plus, Curzon Home Cinema and Amazon Prime. [18][19][20][21]