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. David can currently be seen as Adam Best in BBC's  EastEnders.

David was born with spina bifida, although it was not conclusively diagnosed until he was five years old. He attended a mainstream primary school and was able to walk and participate in most activities, although he needed plastic leg splints. His condition deteriorated as he grew older and during secondary school he began to need to use a wheelchair. However, he refused to transfer to a special school and continued attending his local secondary school. Despite needing to take time off for two major operations to his spine, David passed nine subjects at GCSE, and passed two A levels at grade D.

David was involved with school productions and studied theatre studies at A level. Although he wanted to take drama at university, he did not believe it would be a viable career and instead went to work as a benefits administrator for the Department for Work and Pensions. David stayed in this job for four and a half years, until he obtained his first professional role as an actor in the children's television series Desperados.

David 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 David 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 David 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.

David has worked with British independent film 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. David played Holocaust victim Ernst in the 2008 short Hunger House.

When not acting David plays GBWBA National League Basketball.