Kent McCord was born to Bert and Laura McWhirter as Kent Franklin McWhirter on September 26, 1942, at French Hospital, situated in downtown Los Angeles, California.
The boy began working at his father’s Richland gas station at the age of 10, and in 1954, he found a position at Brackett Field Airport in La Verne, California.
He was under the age of 12 and could not legally be paid, but he was offered flying lessons in exchange for his job. Kent worked there for five years before going on to play football at Baldwin Park High School.
After high school, he went to Citrus Junior College for a year. In 1961, he transferred to the University of Southern California to become a physical education teacher and football coach.
Kent was asked to play in a touch football game in February 1961, on a team captained by Ricky Nelson against opponents led by Elvis Presley.
He secured a deal with Universal Studios in the 1960s, which led to roles in “Dragnet” and “The Big Explosion.” His performance in the former inspired creator Jack Webb to cast the actor in “Adam-12” opposite Martin Milner.
The series was a big success, and Kent’s character, Officer Jim Reed, became famous for it. The series “Adam-12” aired from 1968 through 1975, lasting 174 episodes.
He has also been active in the Screen Actors Guild, having served on its board of directors and as its vice president for four years. Kent was also the recipient of the renowned Ralph Morgan Award in 1999.
Kent worked as a reserve officer for the Los Angeles School Police Department from 2005 until 2009, after appearing in the series. He is frequently lauded for his role in “Adam-12.”
The actor is known for being humble and living a low-key life. He never misses a chance to connect with his fans and invites them to a one-on-one conversation through GalaxyCon’s virtual Meet & Greet.
Regarding the actor’s personal life, Kent married his high school girlfriend Cynthia Lee Doty on July 14, 1962, and the pair have become parents to three kids.
Kristen Stewart and Megan Kent are both actors; Stewart co-starred in “Adam-12” and films such as “Desperate” and “Glamazon: A Different Kind of Girl,” while Megan was featured in “Women’s Story” in 2000.
Cynthia, on the other hand, didn’t mind Kristin portraying her husband’s on-screen wife because everything was made up and the money from the series was coming in.
For the following year, the actor focused on providing for his family and refurbishing his home to his specifications. Kent elaborated:
“I worked on projects at home that had built up before and after the big event. Renovating, painting, and landscaping “I hadn’t gotten around to doing half of the things I wanted to accomplish around the house.”
Kent thought that because he had worked on several movie projects in the preceding years, his popularity with fans would not decrease if he wanted to take a sabbatical from acting.
The actor purchased a bicycle for himself and Cynthia, and the pair would ride their bikes along Route 66 in Santa Monica.
Kent and Martin Miller became friends, and the actor and Cynthia visited Martin and his wife, Judy, on occasion.
The actor also befriended singer Julie London, who knew Cynthia and her three children. Kent and Julie were born on the same day and collaborated on “Adam-12” and “Emergency” in 1972.
In addition, legendary film director John Ford was a fan of “Adam-12,” and he once paid a visit to the cast on location. He was seen talking with Kent about many parts of the program, such as the actor’s job and what it takes to produce a TV show.
Meanwhile, Kent has reprised his classic “Adam-12” character of Officer Jim Reed on several episodes, such as “Dragnet,” “The D.A.: People vs. Saydo,” and “Emergency: The Wedsworth-Townsend Act.”