Vince Edwards aspired to the arts and theater at an early age. He also found time to become a swimming champion in New York State, and he won scholarship to the Ohio State University. He was on its national championship swimming team, but a budding stint in the Summer Olympic Gamnes was cut short by an appendectomy.

After studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Edwards became a contract actor for Paramount Pictures. He also appeared on the New York stage in the 1940s and began his television career in the 1950s. His most memorable television role was as the title character in the ABC series Ben Casey (1961). Edwards also directed a number of Ben Casey (1961) episodes as well as being an actor in many episodes of other TV series. During the 1960s Edwards recorded six record albums, and he performed in sold-out shows in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.