Biographie

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 Le Club Mickey (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.

They say children in [the Hollywood acting] industry are protected. Bullshit. Hollywood would save Bosnia before the life of a single child actor.

[on being fired from Le Club Mickey (1955) for punching a casting director] I was rambunctious and confrontational and undisciplined. Heck, my third-grade teacher said that "while Paul was one of the smartest boys in his class, his behavior is abominable". And that pretty much explains why I was fired. I didn't know that kid actors aren't supposed to be children.

I became a child actor because my mom was bigger than I was.

[on his work with A Minor Consideration] People on the "outside", people who have not lived the life . . . "civilians", as we call them . . . are not equipped to deal with the masterful deceptions of former kid stars. For God's sake, when you don't know what to do with a former child star, call on the only group of people who DO know. We never say, "I told you so". We never seek retribution. We do not judge lest we be judged. We simply help.

[on losing wife Brenda Benet to Bill Bixby] I was so angry I couldn't see straight, and what doubled this pain was that Bill was really visible. You know, he was going great guns and I was going in the toilet.