He's been through practically the worst that can happen to a former
child star when the Hollywood tide suddenly turns and one is no longer
a part of the neat elite. Unlike others, however, such as
Anissa Jones,
Rusty Hamer and
Dana Plato, he survived. As a result, actor
Paul Petersen, today, is THE most dedicated advocate in protecting both
present-day child stars and shunned one-time celebrity tykes, alike.
Paul formed "A Minor Consideration", a child-actor support group back
in 1990, and it has had a tremendously positive and profound effect in
Hollywood.
It started out much differently for Paul back in the 50s. Born in 1945
in Glendale, California, he had an enthusiastic stage mother who pushed
him into the business. He began performing, as an eight-year-old, as
one of the original "Mousketeers" on
The Mickey Mouse Club (1955)
in 1955. He also appeared in such movies as
Das Geheimnis des steinernen Monsters (1957)
and Hausboot (1958), opposite the
likes of Cary Grant and
Sophia Loren, before scoring big, at age
12, as Donna Reed's son on her popular
sitcom,
Mutter ist die Allerbeste (1958).
With Carl Betz as his highly practical doctor
dad and Shelley Fabares as his older
pretty sister, the foursome became the ideal nuclear family for late
50s/early 60s viewers. Paul and his alter-ego, "Jeff Stone", literally
grew up on the show. By his teens, the good-looking, dark-haired lad
had become a formidable heartthrob. Fan clubs sprouted up everywhere.
So popular were both Paul and Shelley that they spun off into recording
careers, groomed to become singing idols despite their modest voices.
She scored with the #1 hit, "Johnny Angel", and he had a few minor hits
with "She Can't Find Her Keys", "Keep Your Love Locked", "Lollipops and
Roses" and "My Dad".
The fun ended, however, after the show's demise in 1966. His
All-American teen typecast didn't fit the bill as the dissonant Vietnam
counterculture took hold. His acting attempts as a serious young adult
also went nowhere. Audiences still saw Paul as "Jeff Stone". Roles in
Der gnadenlose Ritt (1967),
Big John macht Dampf (1968)
and Journey to Shiloh (1968)
came and went. Guest parts on
Die Leute von der Shiloh Ranch (1962) and
F.B.I. (1965) did nothing to
advance him. What he could scrape up were such outdated roles, as
"Moondoggie" in a revamped Gidget TV movie,
Gidget Grows Up (1969).
Lost and abandoned, Paul eventually was forced to give it all up and
went through a period of great personal anguish and turmoil. Wisely, he
enrolled at college and started writing adventure novels (penning 16
books in all). For 10 years, he ran his own limousine service. His
biggest accomplishment to date, however, has been to give back,
selflessly, to an industry that unceremoniously dumped him. In essence,
"A Minor Consideration" is an outreach organization that oversees the
emotional, financial and legal protection of kids and former kids in
show business. Among the issues Paul deals with are better education,
and stricter laws regarding a 40-hour work week. For those who have
"been there, done that" and are experiencing severe emotional and/or
substance abuse problems, he offers a solid hand in helping them find a
renewed sense of purpose. Today, Paul is rightfully considered "the
patron saint of former child actors".
