Following a stint as a Broadway actor, Reed broke into films in 1941.

He appeared in several features for RKO Radio Pictures, including the last two Mexican Spitfire comedies (in which Reed replaced Buddy Rogers as the Spitfire's husband).

Perhaps his most memorable role was as the spineless wagon driver husband of Gail Russell in the western Seven Men from Now.

In 1951 Reed made two film serials for Republic Pictures; Reed strongly resembled former Republic leading man Ralph Byrd, enabling Republic to insert old action scenes of Byrd into the new Reed footage.

After appearing in 90 films and numerous television programs, such as Perry Mason, John Payne's The Restless Gun, and Gunsmoke (as Joe Garrett in 1957, series 2, episode 22), Reed changed careers and became a real estate investor and broker in Santa Cruz, California in the late 1960s.