I Am the Iconic Line Kid from Kindergarten Cop: A Look Back.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is rightfully celebrated as an iconic tough guy. Yet, during the peak of his cinematic dominance in the late 20th century, he also starred in several critically acclaimed comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which celebrates its three-and-a-half decade milestone this winter.

The Story and The Famous Scene

In the classic film, Schwarzenegger plays a tough police officer who poses as a schoolteacher to catch a killer. Throughout the movie, the investigation plot functions as a simple backdrop for Arnold to film humorous moments with his young class. Without a doubt the standout belongs to a student named Joseph, who unprompted announces and informs the former bodybuilder, “It's boys who have a penis, females have a vagina.” Schwarzenegger deadpans, “I appreciate the insight.”

The young actor was portrayed by child star Miko Hughes. In addition to this part encompassed a notable part on Full House as the schoolyard menace to the Olsen twins and the haunting part of the resurrected boy in the screen translation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He continues to act today, with several projects listed on his IMDb. Furthermore, he engages with fans at the con circuit. He recently discussed his memories from the filming of the classic over three decades on.

Memories from the Set

Interviewer: First, how old were you when you filmed Kindergarten Cop?

Miko Hughes: I believe I was four. I was the youngest of all the kids on set.

That's remarkable, I have no memory from being four. Do you remember anything from that time?

Yeah, to a degree. They're snapshots. They're like picture memories.

Do you recall how you were cast in Kindergarten Cop?

My mother, mainly would accompany me to auditions. Sometimes it was an open call. There'd be a room full of young actors and we'd all patiently queue, be seen, be in there briefly, read a small part they wanted and then leave. My parents would coach me on the dialogue and then, when I became literate, that was probably the first stuff I was reading.

Do you have a specific memory of meeting Arnold? What was your take on him?

He was incredibly nice. He was enjoyable. He was nice, which I guess stands to reason. It would have been odd if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom, that likely wouldn't create a productive set. He was fun to be around.

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

I knew he was a huge celebrity because I was told, but I had barely seen his movies. I sensed the excitement — he was a big deal — but he didn't frighten me. He was simply playful and I just wanted to play with him when he had time. He was busy, obviously, but he'd kind of play with us here and there, and we would dangle from his limbs. He'd tense up and we'd be hanging off. He was really, really generous. He purchased for each child in the classroom a yellow cassette player, which at the time was like an iPhone. It was the coolest device, that iconic bright yellow cassette player. I used to rock out to the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for a long time on that thing. It wore out in time. I also have a authentic coach's whistle. He had the teacher's whistle, and the kids all were gifted copies as well.

Do you remember your days on set as being fun?

You know, it's amusing, that movie was this cultural thing. It was a huge film, and it was an incredible opportunity, and you would think, looking back now, I would want my memories to be of collaborating with Schwarzenegger, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, traveling to Oregon, the production design, but my memories are of being a finitely child at lunch. Like, they got everyone pizza, but I wasn't a pizza fan. All I would eat was the meat from the top. Then, the original Game Boy was brand new. That was the big craze, and I was quite skilled. I was the smallest kid and some of the older kids would hand me their devices to get past hard parts on games because I could do it, and I was felt accomplished. So, it's all little kid memories.

The Line

OK, the penis and vagina line, do you remember the context? Did you grasp the meaning?

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

“She really wrestled with it.”

How it originated, according to family lore, was they didn't have specific roles. A few scenes were written into the script, but once they had the entire ensemble assembled, it was more of a collaboration, but they refined it on set and, reportedly someone in charge came to my mom and said, "There's a concept. We want Miko to have this line. Are you okay with this?" My mom didn't agree right away. She said, "Give me a moment, I need time" and took a short while. She deliberated carefully. She said she was hesitant, but she believed it would likely become one of the most memorable lines from the movie and her instinct was correct.