He achieved fame on the Broadway stage in 1939 as Oscar Hubbard, one of Regina Giddens's (Tallulah Bankhead) greedy, devious brothers in the play The Little Foxes,[3] and made his film debut reprising his role opposite Bette Davis in the 1941 film version.

He also appeared in several Shakespeare plays on Broadway, and in the original production of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, as Harry Slade.

His stern, cold demeanor quickly stereotyped him in villainous, and/or unpleasant characters, although he could play a sympathetic role, as he did occasionally in such films as the 1957 TV-movie version of The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

The flood leads to the famous plague of rats which invade Hamelin, and set the main plot in motion.

His final television role was as Claude Townsend in the TV series The F.B.I.. Reid was married to actress Hazel Harrison, whom he met at the Cleveland Play House.