David Proud
Encyclopedia
David Proud is an English
actor
. He was born with spina bifida
and uses a wheelchair
. He only began his acting career during his early twenties, having previously believed that it would be impossible for him to have a career in that field. His first professional acting role was as a wheelchair basketball
player in the children's TV series Desperados. He has since appeared in two independent film
s.
Proud has received critical praise for his comic acting ability. In June 2009 it was announced that he will become the first disabled actor to play a regular disabled part in the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
. He plays the character Adam Best
, son of Manda Best
, in April 2010 it was announced that the character had been axed by Bryan Kirkwood
.
, which was diagnosed when he was five years old. He was able to walk with the use of plastic leg splints and participate in most activities, and attended a mainstream primary school. During secondary school he required the use of a wheelchair but refused to transfer to a special school. He took time off for two major operations on his spine. He passed nine subjects at GCSE and two A levels at grade D. He studied theatre at A level and was involved with school productions. He wanted to take drama at university but did not believe it would be a viable career so worked as a benefits administrator for four and a half years. He then obtained his first professional acting role in the children's television series Desperados.
Obtaining the grades he did in his educational qualifications, in spite of the difficulties caused by his health problems, has been described by Proud as "one of [his] proudest achievements". He has written for Inclusion Now, the magazine of the Alliance for Inclusive Education
, describing his attitude to his disability: "Being told that I can't do something seems to make me more and more determined". Although he has described roles calling for disabled actors as his "niche", Proud has expressed hopes that as disabled actors enter the mainstream, they will receive roles where "the wheelchair isn't relevant to the character", and that they will be able to compete for 'regular' roles.
Outside of acting, Proud is studying for a degree in psychology
through distance learning
with the Open University
. He has also collaborated with Jason Maza
on writing the script for a new film project. He is a patron for the Association of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus and launched their Fit For Success scheme.
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).
Since Desperados, David has obtained the services of a mainstream agent
and has gone on to be involved in various other projects. 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.
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.
director
and producer
Justin Edgar
on two 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
. Proud played Holocaust victim Ernst in the 2008 short
Hunger House. 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
." Proud has enjoyed his film work, stating that "small British independent films are possibly the best thing you can do as an actor".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He was born with spina bifida
Spina bifida
Spina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
and uses a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. He only began his acting career during his early twenties, having previously believed that it would be impossible for him to have a career in that field. His first professional acting role was as a wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
player in the children's TV series Desperados. He has since appeared in two independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s.
Proud has received critical praise for his comic acting ability. In June 2009 it was announced that he will become the first disabled actor to play a regular disabled part in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. He plays the character Adam Best
Adam Best (EastEnders)
Adam Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Proud, the first adult actor with a visible disability to appear regularly in the soap. Both Proud and his character live with spina bifida...
, son of Manda Best
Manda Best
Amanda "Manda" Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Josie Lawrence. Manda was introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer, and made her first appearance on 6 March 2009....
, in April 2010 it was announced that the character had been axed by Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
.
Personal life
Proud was born with spina bifidaSpina bifida
Spina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
, which was diagnosed when he was five years old. He was able to walk with the use of plastic leg splints and participate in most activities, and attended a mainstream primary school. During secondary school he required the use of a wheelchair but refused to transfer to a special school. He took time off for two major operations on his spine. He passed nine subjects at GCSE and two A levels at grade D. He studied theatre at A level and was involved with school productions. He wanted to take drama at university but did not believe it would be a viable career so worked as a benefits administrator for four and a half years. He then obtained his first professional acting role in the children's television series Desperados.
Obtaining the grades he did in his educational qualifications, in spite of the difficulties caused by his health problems, has been described by Proud as "one of [his] proudest achievements". He has written for Inclusion Now, the magazine of the Alliance for Inclusive Education
Alliance for Inclusive Education
The Alliance for Inclusive Education is an organisation in the United Kingdom which promotes inclusion in education. It was founded in 1990, and is currently directed by Tara Flood. Their aims are to end segregation in schools, and to make mainstream educational establishments accessible for all,...
, describing his attitude to his disability: "Being told that I can't do something seems to make me more and more determined". Although he has described roles calling for disabled actors as his "niche", Proud has expressed hopes that as disabled actors enter the mainstream, they will receive roles where "the wheelchair isn't relevant to the character", and that they will be able to compete for 'regular' roles.
Outside of acting, Proud is studying for a degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
through distance learning
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
with the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. He has also collaborated with Jason Maza
Jason Maza
- Early life :Born and brought up in London, he played semi-professional football before turning to an acting career. At 18 Maza gained a place at Central School of Speech and Drama; however, he turned down his place in order to continue working as an actor....
on writing the script for a new film project. He is a patron for the Association of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus and launched their Fit For Success scheme.
Television
Proud was picked by BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Ewan Marshall to play one of the leads in the 2007 CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
series Desperados, a children's drama starring the paralympic wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball at the Summer Paralympics
Wheelchair basketball has been contested at the Summer Paralympics since the 1960 Summer Paralympics in Rome.Winning the Paralympics is considered to be the highest honor in international wheelchair basketball, followed by the World Championships of the International 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
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
, after being persuaded to join the "Desperados" team by their coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, Baggy Awolowo (Adepitan).
Since Desperados, David has obtained the services of a mainstream agent
Talent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
and has gone on to be involved in various other projects. He co-presented an episode of the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
documentary series Mischief, 'Is it cos I is Black', in 2007. He appeared as the character Blake in the second series of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 from 2007-2011 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class London call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The...
in 2008.
He played Adam Best
Adam Best (EastEnders)
Adam Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Proud, the first adult actor with a visible disability to appear regularly in the soap. Both Proud and his character live with spina bifida...
, the son of Josie Lawrence
Josie Lawrence
Josie Lawrence is a British comedienne and actress best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? and more recently her role as Manda Best in EastEnders....
's character Manda Best
Manda Best
Amanda "Manda" Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Josie Lawrence. Manda was introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer, and made her first appearance on 6 March 2009....
, in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
soap opera, EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
from 2009 to 2010. The show's executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
, 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.
Film
Proud has worked with British independent filmIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Justin Edgar
Justin Edgar
Justin Edgar is a British film director.Born in Handsworth, Birmingham on 18 August 1971, Edgar graduated from Portsmouth University in 1996 with a First Class degree in film. In 1998 he directed the short comedy Dirty Phonecalls for ITV’s First Cut scheme. It became a worldwide festival hit and...
on two films. He played Scott, a geeky paraplegic who makes a behind-the-scenes
Making-of
In cinema, a making-of, also known as behind-the-scenes, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program...
documentary following a group of other disabled film students, in the 2007 feature
Feature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
film Special People
Special People (film)
Special People is a 2008 British film that was directed by Justin Edgar for 104 Films.- Plot :Enlisted to teach a class of wheelchair-users about filmmaking, the neurotic Jasper gets a little more than he bargained for...
. Proud played Holocaust victim Ernst in the 2008 short
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
Hunger House. View London
View London
View London, owned by the 2 View Group Ltd, is an online entertainment guide to London, UK covering restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs in London. It also has a "What's On" guide and reviews of current cinema releases by Matthew Turner, its resident film critic.The site allow users to post...
's film critic Matthew Turner viewed Proud's performance in Special People positively, praising his "great comic timing
Comic timing
Comic timing is the use of rhythm, tempo and pausing to enhance comedy and humour. The pacing of the delivery of a joke can have a strong impact on its comedic effect, even altering its meaning; the same can also be true of more physical comedy such as slapstick.A beat is a pause taken for the...
and a winning way with a one-liner
One-liner joke
A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy.Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g...
." Proud has enjoyed his film work, stating that "small British independent films are possibly the best thing you can do as an actor".
External links
- News archive for David Proud on Digital SpyDigital SpyDigital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
- Profile and news archive for David Proud] on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Profile for David Proud on tv.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Bloomfields Management, David Proud's agent
- Official Website, David Proud's Website