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.
Board Member for the Donna Reed Foundation, and works at the Donna Reed Festival in Denison, Iowa the third week in June every year.
He has one daughter born in 1987 from a brief affair.
He, Shelley Fabares and James Darren recorded a "Bye Bye Birdie" album in the 1960s.
His real-life mother and his TV mother, Donna Reed, were, in fact, both born in Iowa, in adjoining counties, the same year, 1922.
In addition to playing siblings "Jeff" and "Trisha" on "The Donna Reed Show" (1958), he is the real-life big brother of Patty Petersen.
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.