[3] Byrnes developed the urge to act in high school but did not seriously consider pursuing it until after he had tried a number of other jobs, such as driving an ambulance, roofing and selling flowers.

[5] In 1956, Byrnes got an unpaid job in a summer stock theatre company in Connecticut, the Litchfield Community Playhouse.

[6][7] Byrnes also appeared in episodes of The Adventures of Jim Bowie, and Telephone Time and in the film Fear Strikes Out (1957).

He did, however, guest star on an episode of Cheyenne made by Warner Bros.,[9] and a contemporary report described him as "a Tab Hunter type.".

In 1958 he appeared (credited as Edward Byrnes) as Benji Danton on Cheyenne in the episode titled "The Last Comanchero."

When Tab Hunter refused a role in the war film Darby's Rangers (1958), Byrnes stepped in instead.

"[4][16] The show aired in October 1958[20] and was so popular Warners decided to turn it into a TV series: 77 Sunset Strip.

Zimbalist Jr. explained the situation to the audience: We previewed this show, and because Edd Byrnes was such a hit, we decided that Kookie and his comb had to be in our series.

So this week, we'll just forget that in the pilot he went off to prison to be executed.Kookie's recurring character—a different, exciting look that teens of the day related to—was the valet-parking attendant who constantly combed his piled-high, greasy-styled teen hair, often in a windbreaker jacket, and who worked part-time at the so-called Dean Martin's Dino's Lodge restaurant, next door to a private-investigator agency at 77 Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.

Kookie was also the progenitor of Henry Winkler's The Fonz character of the Happy Days series (switch hot rod for motorcycle; same hair and comb).

[28][29] Owing to restrictions in his Warner Brothers television contract, Byrnes was forced to turn down film roles in Ocean's Eleven (1960); Rio Bravo (1959); North to Alaska (1960) and The Longest Day (1962).

In August 1963 Byrnes bought up the remaining ten months of his contract with Warner Bros. and left Sunset Strip.

"[34] Byrnes appeared in episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; Burke's Law and Kraft Suspense Theatre.

[35] Back in the United States, he made a pilot for a TV series, Kissin' Cousins, based on the Elvis Presley film Kissin' Cousins (1964), with Byrnes taking the part of the lieutenant played by Presley in the film;[36][37] it did not go to series.

[39] He was in episodes of Mister Roberts; Honey West and Theatre of Stars, and did Picnic; Bus Stop; Sunday in New York; Sweet Bird of Youth and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on stage in stock.

"[42] Byrnes returned to Europe for several Spaghetti Westerns, which included the 1967 films Renegade Riders; Any Gun Can Play and Red Blood, Yellow Gold.

[43] In 1969 he said he made more money in the preceding year than in his entire time at Warner Bros.[44] Back in the US he worked mostly in TV; this included episodes of Mannix; Love, American Style; The Virginian; Adam-12 and Pathfinders.

The box office success of the film led to Byrnes becoming the only regular cast member of the NBC comedy-drama anthology series $weepstake$ in early 1979,[47] but it only lasted nine episodes.

Byrnes had a small role in the Erin Moran TV film Twirl (1981) and the lead in Erotic Images (1983) with Britt Ekland.

Later appearances included parts in: Unhappily Ever After; Rags to Riches; Mr. Belvedere; Empty Nest; Burke's Law (the revival); Adam-12, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and Murder, She Wrote.

In 1987 he appeared on the sitcom Throb in the role of Bobby Catalina, a washed-up singer, and performed his trademark "Kookie" song.

[5] Byrnes appeared during the Memphis Film Festival in June 2014; he was reunited with his former Yellowstone Kelly co-star Clint Walker.