PAUL PETERSEN

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Paul Petersen is an actor, singer, novelist, spokesman and child rights activist. Mr. Petersen started out in show business at the age of nine when he became a "Mousketeer" on the Mickey Mouse Club. However, he achieved international stardom as a teenage heartthrob on The Donna Reed Show, an ABC comedy that ran from 1958 to 1966. The family oriented series starred Academy Award® winning actress Donna Reed, Carl Betz, and Shelley Fabares. His fame brought recording offers and he had hit singles with songs such as My Dad, She Can't Find Her Keys, Amy, and Lollipops and Roses that made it into the Billboard Hot 100. Mr. Petersen worked quite a bit before The Donna Reed Show, rising up from the debacle of being a Fired Mouse at age 9 to perform in national commercials, then gradually moving into more important roles on classics like Playhouse 90, Lux Video Theater, and Ford Theater. These roles led to feature films, and he co-starred in the much-loved Houseboat with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. After the eight year, 276 episode ‘run’ of The Donna Reed Show Mr. Petersen worked on a string of movies and television shows including Happiest Millionaire, Journey to Shiloh, Time For Killing, Something for a Lonely Man, Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All, Gidget Grows Up and more, but each year the work grew less and less. The handwriting was on the wall. When the bright Hollywood spotlight dimmed Mr. Petersen continued his education and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Literature that paved the way for him to to write sixteen novels. His first book written in 1972, “High Performance Driving” focused on auto racing. Petersen has always had a passion for the automotive industry. Organizers of the 15th Annual Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous® presented by Firestone, recently honored Mr. Petersen with the event's “Lifetime Achievement Award”. From entertainment to community involvement, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” serves to recognize the sacrifices made in order to fulfill one’s dreams. Mr. Petersen is currently the AFTRA Chair of the Young Performers Committee, a credentialed Delegate at the United Nations for the World Safety Organization, a past Board-member of SAG and a sitting National and Local Board Member of AFTRA. He is a director on the Board of the Fender Museum, and the Center for Improved Child Caring, as well as the American Foundation for Drug Prevention, and the Child Labor Coalition. In 1990, he founded the non-profit organization, A Minor Consideration to assist child actors and their parents face the challenges of the entertainment industry. A Minor Consideration Being involved with the television and movie industry, Mr. Petersen wanted to make a difference in child actors’ lives. The child actor advocacy group provides support services, news, and articles relating to child labor laws in the film industry. A strong emphasis is placed on education and helping to preserve the money that is generated so the child actors will have resources available to them when they become adults.