Kent McCord and Martin Milner. | Source: Getty Images

• Kent McCord's met Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley playing touch football.
• He started acting and landed the part in the cop show, "Adam -12."
• He played Officer Jim Reed on many other shows and had three children with his wife, Cynthia.

Kent McCord was born on September 26, 1942, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Baldwin Park, California. He showed responsibility at a young age, taking care of his horse, working at his father's gas station for fifty cents, and then every weekend and summer from when he was 12 to 17 years old, working at the Brackett Field Airport.

Having been a football star in high school, McCord, received a football scholarship to the University of Utah. However, fate had other plans for him. A friend invited him to play touch football in 1961. But this was no ordinary game: he found himself playing on Ricky Nelson's team. And the opposing captain was none other than Elvis Presley.

Kent McCord in a promotional shot for "Adam-12" in 1968 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Nelson got McCord a part in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," and the young man decided to become an actor. After doing stunts, bits, and extra work, McCord signed a contract with Universal. After he appeared as a police officer in "Dragnet 1967," Jack Webb would cast McCord in "Adam-12," arguably his biggest role to this day. Speaking about what made the show great, McCord said:

“The charm of ‘Adam-12’ was its simplicity. Just two cops in a black-and-white patrolling the streets of Los Angeles. The moral of the stories was simply – crime doesn’t pay.”

Kent McCord and wife Cynthia Doty arrive at the opening ceremony of Las Vegas Car Stars at the Fremont Street Experience on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Source: Getty Images

He played a clean-cut, buttoned-up street cop, Jim Reed, partnered with Martin Milner's Pete Malloy. The duo played regular policemen patrolling and solving cases on the streets of Los Angeles. Though Milner was an older, more experienced actor, he and McCord struck up a friendship that lasted for years.

Clean-cut and Buttoned Up

"Adam-12" had a 174-episode run from 1968-1975, coming to an abrupt end when McCord's costar Milner was tapped to lead the "Swiss Family Robinson" cast. His contract was up, and no one could convince him to continue. The show was still popular, but the departure of a major player sounded its death knell despite creator Webb's best efforts.

He played the role so convincingly, and the show earned praise for a realistic portrayal of police life.

McCord, who would have continued with the show, has said that he enjoyed the final seasons more than the ones at the start of the series. The writers returned to writing each episode depicting a day in the life of the two characters. This format of police drama is much more common today in shows like "BlueBloods" and the famous "Law and Order" franchise.

Kent Mccord withKent McCord and Cynthia Doty at the 75th Anniversary Celebration at Rockefeller Plaza in May 5, 2002 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

The show thrust McCord into the spotlight. He played the role so convincingly, and the performance earned praise for a realistic portrayal of police life. Some police organizations used episodes as teaching aids for their officers. Speaking about the impact of the crime-fighting series McCord said:

"To this day I get police officers telling me they became cops because of ‘Adam-12.' Others remember how kids approached them differently before and after the show aired. Its positive impact meant a lot to Marty and me.”

McCord's character Jim Reed would appear in three other shows; "Dragnet," "The D.A." and "Emergency!" He was never able to play another role as well as he did this one. It even inspired him to take up policing in real life. The only event that eclipsed the show was the arrival of McCord's son three days before the final episode of "Adam-12" premiered.

Life After "Adam-12"

McCord has been an active member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) since the beginning of his career. He joined the National Board of Directors in 1972 and served on the Board for 11 years. The "Tides of War' actor also was a member of the Celebrity All Stars Basketball team for ten years, raising funds for various charities. In 2004, he spearheaded a SAG blood drive to find a bone marrow donor to aid his friend Martin Milner's daughter, Amy.

The actor continued acting and is well known for his roles in "Galactica 1980," "Airplane II: The Sequel," and "Predator 2." He keeps in touch with fans by appearing at conventions and through his website, where he offers virtual meet-and-greets.

Kent McCord, wife Cynthia Lee Doty, daughter Megan McCord and son Michael McCord attend "The Wizard" Universal City Premiere on December 2, 1989 at Universal City, California. | Source: Getty Images

McCord and his wife have three children, Kristen McCord, 59, Megan McCord, 51, and Michael McCord, 47. Kristen is a composer and actress

for that episode in her father's show "Adam-12" as well as a film called "Desperate" and a Tv Series, "Weekly World News." Megan, an actress, has appeared in "Woman's Story" and "Pine Canyon Is Burning."

Kent McCord, whose real name is Kent McWhirter, married his high school sweetheart, Cynthia Lee Doty, on July 14, 1962. His wife thinks that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady bears a striking resemblance to her husband. She often jokes, asking where he was when Brady was being conceived. The couple is very much in love 80 years down the line and enjoys biking together.

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