I Was the Iconic Line Kid from Kindergarten Cop: A Candid Conversation.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is universally recognized as an action movie legend. But, during the peak of his star power in the late 20th century, he also starred in several critically acclaimed comedies. A prime example is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its 35-year mark this holiday season.

The Role and The Famous Scene

In the hit comedy, Schwarzenegger plays a undercover cop who poses as a schoolteacher to catch a killer. For much of the story, the investigation plot functions as a simple backdrop for the star to film humorous interactions with kids. The most unforgettable features a student named Joseph, who unprompted announces and informs the actor, “It's boys who have a penis, and girls get a vagina.” The Terminator deadpans, “Thanks for the tip.”

The boy behind the line was played by former young actor Miko Hughes. Beyond this role included a character arc on Full House as the bully to the Olsen twins and the character of the resurrected boy in the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He still works in film today, with several projects in development. Additionally, he is a regular on popular culture events. Recently shared his recollections from the set of Kindergarten Cop over three decades on.

A Young Actor's Perspective

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

Miko Hughes: I think I was four. I was the youngest 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 accompany me to auditions. Frequently it was a mass tryout. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all just have to wait, enter the casting office, be in there less than five minutes, do whatever little line they wanted and that's all. My parents would help me learn the words and then, when I became literate, that was probably the first stuff I was reading.

Do you have any recollection of meeting Arnold? What was your impression of him?

He was very kind. He was enjoyable. He was pleasant, which I guess stands to reason. It would be strange if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom, that probably wouldn't make for a productive set. He was great to work with.

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

I was aware he was a major movie star because I was told, but I had never really seen his movies. I knew the air around him — he was a big deal — but he didn't really intimidate me. He was just fun and I was eager to interact with him when he was available. He was busy, obviously, but he'd kind of play with us here and there, and we would hang off of his arms. He'd flex and we'd be dangling there. He was exceptionally kind. He gifted all the students in the classroom a personal stereo, which at the time was like an iPhone. That was the hottest tech out there, that funky old 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 eventually broke. I also received a genuine metal whistle. He had the referee's whistle, and the kids all got a whistle as well.

Do you remember your days on set as being positive?

You know, it's interesting, that movie became a phenomenon. It was such a big movie, and it was such an amazing experience, and you would think, in retrospect, I would want my memories to be of collaborating with Schwarzenegger, the direction of Ivan Reitman, visiting Astoria, seeing the set, but my memories are of being a really picky eater at lunch. Like, they got everyone pizza, but I avoided pizza. All I would eat was the meat from the top. Then, the Nintendo Game Boy was brand new. That was the coolest toy, and I was proficient. I was the smallest kid and some of the other children would hand me their devices to beat difficult stages on games because I was able to, and I was really proud of that. So, it's all youthful anecdotes.

That Famous Quote

OK, that specific dialogue, do you remember how it happened? Did you know what you were saying?

At the time, I likely didn't understand what the word provocative meant, but I realized it got a reaction and it got a big laugh. I was aware it was kind of something I shouldn't normally say, but I was given an exception in this case because it was humorous.

“She really wrestled with it.”

How it was conceived, according to family lore, was they hadn't finalized all the dialogue. A few scenes were part of the original screenplay, but once they had the entire ensemble assembled, it wasn't pure improvisation, but they developed it during shooting and, presumably someone in charge came to my mom and said, "There's a concept. We want Miko to say this. Are you okay with this?" My mom paused. She said, "Let me think about it, I'll decide tomorrow" and took a day or two. It was a tough call for her. She said she was hesitant, but she believed it would likely become one of the most memorable lines from the movie and history proved her correct.