Reed was born in Dublin. He left school aged fifteen to work on ships, including as a blockade runner. He wanted to act and ended up studying at RADA for a year. During World War Two he served in the RAF and then the Merchant Navy. After demobilisation he worked as an extra and in repertory. He did a screen test for Riverside Studiosat Rank and joined The Company of Youth at the age of 27. Reed made his film debut in The Years Between and then appeared in Gaiety George. In both he had unbilled roles.
Leading Man
Producer Sydney Box thought Reed had star potential and promoted him to leading man status for Daybreak, a film noir which Box produced and co-wrote with his wife Muriel; Reed played an employee of Eric Portman who lusts after Portman's wife, played by Ann Todd. The film was made in 1946, but not released until 1948 due to censorship issues. Box cast Reed in the lead role in a film made immediately after but released before Daybreak: The Brothers. Reed followed it with Dear Murderer, from a script by Box, starring Portman, and then he made two films opposite Anne Crawford, Night Beat, and Daughter of Darkness. Reed had more of a support role in The Lost People, co-diected by Muriel Box, and Madness of the Heart, with Margaret Lockwood. He had the lead in Blackout, opposite Dinah Sheridan. Reed had a support role in The Clouded Yellow with Jean Simmons, then had the lead in some B pictures, The Dark Man and There Is Another Sun. Reed said in June 1950 that "they tried to make me a star too soon." Reed moved to the U.S. to make Flame of Araby. He returned to Britain for support parts in Sea Devils and The Square Ring. After making Captain Phantom in Italy, Reed starred in some British B,s Marilyn, Before I Wake and The Brain Machine. He appeared in episodes of Theatre Royal had a small role in Helen of Troy.
Hollywood
Reed moved to Hollywood permanently in the late 1950s and guest starred on TV shows like Celebrity Playhouse and The Betty Hutton Show. He landed the title role in the 1950s television series Captain David Grief, based on short stories by Jack London. It ran for two seasons in syndication, and was the first television series made on location in Hawaii; the first nine episodes were shot on Maui before production moved to southern California. Reed had support roles in films like The Notorious Landlady and appeared as a guest star in television series such as Bonanza, Kraft Mystery Theater, The Beachcomber, The Lloyd Bridges Show, The Great Adventure, Perry Mason and Daniel Boone. His last feature film was Picture Mommy Dead.
Personal life
He was the first husband of actress Joan Collins, whom he married on 24 May 1952. They were separated in 1954 and the marriage ended in divorce in 1956, after which Reed sued her for alimony. Reed claimed in 1956 that he had earned only $1,000 over the previous 12 months. He later withdrew this claim. Collins said Reed tried to model his career on Stewart Granger. He died from cancer, aged 55, in London.
