- Mickey Rooney was the main influence on Paul to get him to leave Hollywood after his career crashed and burned and getting an education. He eventually earned college degrees in English and history.
- Served the United Nations as a delegate for the World Safety Organization, and represented 300,000 film workers as Vice President of the Hollywood Entertainment Labor Council.
- Was allegedly fired from The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) by Walt Disney himself for "conduct unbecoming"--for bad behavior. One incident included punching the casting director in the stomach for being called a "mouse" one too many times.
- As of December 2001 he was heading up the growing advocacy group A Minor Consideration, protecting young professionals.
- Board Member for the Donna Reed Foundation, and works at the Donna Reed Festival in Denison, IA, the third week in June every year.
- He, Shelley Fabares and James Darren recorded a "Bye Bye Birdie" album in the 1960s.
- He has one daughter born in 1987 from a brief affair.
- In addition to playing siblings "Jeff" and "Trisha" on The Donna Reed Show (1958), he is the real-life big brother of Patty Petersen.
- Dated Lana Wood briefly.
- Profiled in the 2016 book, "X Child Stars: Where Are They Now?", by Kathy Garver and Fred Ascher.
- Like his on-screen mother Donna Reed, his own mother was born in 1921 and was originally from Iowa.
- Songwriter Jimmy Webb's "By the I Get to Phoenix" was originally written for him, but he passed on it.
- In March 2011 he attended the annual Williamsburg (VA) film festival.
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