[3] In his youth, Reed joined the 4-H agricultural club and showed calves, but was more interested in acting and music.

[8] He eventually adopted the stage name Robert Reed and moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s to further pursue his acting career.

In 1961, Reed landed his first television starring role in The Defenders alongside fellow Studebaker Theater performer E. G. Marshall, with the two playing a father-and-son team of defense attorneys.

[12] While appearing on The Defenders in 1964, Reed made his Broadway stage debut as Paul Bratter in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, replacing Robert Redford.

[11][13] For the remainder of the decade, Reed appeared primarily in television guest spots, including roles in Family Affair, Ironside, The Mod Squad, and Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre.

When Paramount had decided to turn the television version of Barefoot in the Park into a predominantly African-American show, they planned for Reed to star in something else.

"[14] Reed was the producers' second choice for the role of Mike Brady after Gene Hackman was rejected because he was largely unknown at the time.

[17] Despite earning poor reviews from critics and never cracking the Top 30 during its five-season run, The Brady Bunch remained an audience favorite of the 1970s.

In his efforts to bring more realism to the sitcom, Reed often locked horns with the program's creator and executive producer Schwartz.

[20][21] Reed regularly presented Schwartz with hand-written memoranda detailing why a certain motivation did not make sense or why it was wrong to combine elements of farce and satire.

[21] By this time, Schwartz was tired of Reed's antagonistic behavior and decided to replace him for the show's sixth season; however, the series was cancelled by ABC shortly thereafter.

[25] Reed later claimed that he originally accepted the role for financial reasons,[26] but tried to remain positive despite his creative differences with Schwartz by reminding himself the series was primarily about the children.

[27] Co-star Susan Olsen became friends with Reed's daughter Karen, who made a guest appearance in the episode "The Slumber Caper.

He won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Pat Caddison, a doctor who comes out as transgender, in a two-part episode of Medical Center in 1975.

[31] Also that year he appeared in the TV-movie The Secret Night Caller, as a respectably married man with a compulsion to make obscene phone calls to women he barely knows.

[31] He also guest-starred on "The Love Boat" Season 2 Episode 5, which aired on October 20, 1978, Wonder Woman, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, Galactica 1980 and Vega$.

Reed made his last onscreen appearance in an April 1992 episode of Jake and the Fatman, "Ain't Misbehavin'".

[2] Shortly before his death, Reed appeared in the touring production of Love Letters, opposite Betsy Palmer, and taught classes on Shakespeare at UCLA.

[36][37] Reed kept the fact that he was gay a close secret, since public knowledge of his true sexual orientation during that era would likely have damaged his career.

Off camera, he was an unhappy person – I think had Bob not been forced to live this double life, I think it would have dissipated a lot of that anger and frustration.

"[38] Regarding Reed's unwillingness to discuss his sexuality, even off-camera and in private, Williams told ABC News during an interview in 2000 that "Robert didn't want to go there.

"[36] Weeks before his death, Reed called Henderson and asked her to inform the rest of The Brady Bunch cast that he was terminally ill.[23] He died on May 12, 1992, at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, at age 59.

[41] It remains unknown when Reed contracted HIV, because he kept his medical condition and private life a secret from the public until his death, telling only a few close friends.