I Was the Iconic Line Kid from the Arnold Schwarzenegger Comedy: An Interview.

The Austrian Oak is universally recognized as an iconic tough guy. Yet, in the midst of his cinematic dominance in the eighties and nineties, he also starred in several surprisingly great comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its three-and-a-half decade milestone this December.

The Role and An Iconic Moment

In the hit comedy, Schwarzenegger embodies a hardened detective who goes undercover as a schoolteacher to locate a fugitive. During the story, the investigation plot acts as a loose framework for Arnold to share adorable moments with his young class. Arguably the most famous features a little boy named Joseph, who spontaneously announces and states the stoic star, “It's boys who have a penis, females have a vagina.” Schwarzenegger deadpans, “Thank you for that information.”

That iconic child was portrayed by former young actor Miko Hughes. His career featured a recurring role on Full House playing the antagonist to the famous sisters and the pivotal role of the resurrected boy in the film version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Hughes remains active today, with a slate of movies on the horizon. Furthermore, he frequently attends fan conventions. He recently shared his recollections from the filming of the classic over three decades on.

Memories from the Set

Question: Starting off, how old were you when you filmed Kindergarten Cop?

Miko Hughes: My understanding is I was four. I was the smallest of all the kids on set.

Wow, I don't recall being four. Do you retain any flashes from that time?

Yeah, somewhat. They're snapshots. They're like picture memories.

Do you recall how you landed the job in Kindergarten Cop?

My mother, mainly would bring me to auditions. Often it was an open call. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all patiently queue, be seen, be in there briefly, do whatever little line they wanted and that's all. My parents would coach me on the dialogue and then, when I became literate, that was some of the first material I was reading.

Do you have a specific memory of meeting Arnold? What was your feeling about him?

He was very kind. He was playful. He was pleasant, which I guess stands to reason. It would have been odd if he was a dick to all the kids in the classroom, that surely wouldn't foster a productive set. He was a joy to have on set.

“It would be strange if he was unpleasant to all the kids in the classroom.”

I understood he was a huge celebrity because that's what my parents told me, but I had barely seen his movies. I sensed the excitement — he was a big deal — but he wasn't scary to me. He was merely entertaining and I only wanted to hang out with him when he was available. He was occupied, of course, but he'd kind of play with us here and there, and we would dangle from his limbs. He'd flex and we'd be hanging off. He was incredibly giving. He bought every kid in the classroom a personal stereo, which at the time was like an iPhone. This was the hottest tech out there, that funky old yellow cassette player. I listened to the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for a long time on that thing. It eventually broke. I also was given a genuine metal whistle. He had the referee's whistle, and the kids all received one too as well.

Do you remember your days on set as being enjoyable?

You know, it's interesting, that movie became a phenomenon. It was a major production, and it was a wonderful time, and you would think, looking back now, I would want my memories to be of collaborating with Schwarzenegger, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, the location shoot, seeing the set, but my memories are of being a really picky eater at lunch. For example, they got everyone pizza, but I wasn't a pizza fan. All I would eat was the pepperoni off the top. Then, the original Game Boy was brand new. That was the big craze, and I was proficient. I was the youngest and some of the older kids would hand me their devices to beat difficult stages on games because I could do it, and I was quite pleased with myself. So, it's all childhood recollections.

That Famous Quote

OK, the penis and vagina line, do you remember the context? Did you understand the words?

At the time, I likely didn't understand what the word shocking meant, but I understood it was edgy and it got a big laugh. I understood it was kind of something I wouldn't usually utter, but I was given an exception in this case because it was funny.

“It was a difficult decision for her.”

How it came about, according to family lore, was they hadn't finalized all the dialogue. Certain bits of dialogue were established early on, but once they had the entire ensemble assembled, it wasn't necessarily improv, but they worked on it while filming and, reportedly someone in charge came to my mom and said, "We're thinking. We want Miko to have this line. Are you okay with this?" My mom paused. She said, "Let me think about it, I need time" and took some time. She really wrestled with it. She said she wasn't sure, but she thought it could end up as one of the iconic quotes from the movie and her instinct was correct.