I'm Known As the ‘Boys Have a Penis’ Kid from the Classic 1990 Film: An Interview.

The action icon is universally recognized as an Hollywood heavyweight. However, at the height of his blockbuster fame in the 1980s and 1990s, he also starred in several genuinely hilarious comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this holiday season.

The Film and The Famous Scene

In the classic film, Schwarzenegger portrays a hardened detective who goes undercover as a schoolteacher to locate a fugitive. During the movie, the procedural element functions as a basic structure for Arnold to film humorous scenes with children. Arguably the most famous features a child named Joseph, who out of nowhere rises and informs the stoic star, “Males have a penis, and girls get a vagina.” Schwarzenegger deadpans, “I appreciate the insight.”

That iconic child was brought to life by child star Miko Hughes. His career featured a character arc on Full House as the bully to the child stars and the pivotal role of the youngster who comes back in the screen translation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He continues to act today, with several projects listed on his IMDb. He also frequently attends popular culture events. He recently discussed his memories from the set of Kindergarten Cop over three decades on.

Memories from the Set

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

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

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

Yeah, to a degree. They're brief images. They're like visual recollections.

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

My family, especially my mother would accompany me to auditions. Frequently it was a mass tryout. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all patiently queue, go into the room, be in there for a very short time, read a small part they wanted and that was it. My parents would help me learn the words and then, once I learned to read, that was probably the first stuff I was reading.

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

He was incredibly nice. He was fun. He was pleasant, which arguably makes sense. It would have been odd if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom, that surely wouldn't foster a productive set. He was great to work with.

“It'd be weird if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom.”

I understood he was a huge celebrity because I was told, but I had barely seen his movies. I felt the importance — 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 was available. He was occupied, of course, but he'd sometimes engage here and there, and we would cling to his muscles. He'd show his strength and we'd be holding on. He was exceptionally kind. He gifted all the students in the classroom a Sony Walkman, which at the time was like an iPhone. That was the coolest device, that funky old yellow cassette player. I played 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 genuine metal whistle. He had the coach whistle, and the kids all received one too as well.

Do you remember your experience as being fun?

You know, it's interesting, that movie was this cultural thing. It was such a big movie, and it was such an amazing experience, and you would think, as an adult, I would want my memories to be of the star himself, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, traveling to Oregon, seeing the set, but my memories are of being a finitely child at lunch. For example, they got everyone pizza, but I didn't even like pizza. All I would eat was the pepperoni off the top. Then, the original Game Boy was new. That was the hot thing, and I was quite skilled. I was the smallest kid and some of the bigger kids would hand me their devices to pass certain levels on games because I could do it, and I was felt accomplished. So, it's all youthful anecdotes.

That Famous Quote

OK, that specific dialogue, do you remember how it happened? Did you grasp the meaning?

At the time, I wasn't fully aware of what the word provocative meant, but I understood it was edgy and it caused the crew to chuckle. I understood it was kind of something I wouldn't usually utter, but I was given special permission in this case because it was funny.

“It was a difficult decision for her.”

How it came about, according to family lore, was they didn't have specific roles. Some character lines were part of the original screenplay, but once they had the kids together, it was more of a collaboration, but they developed it during shooting and, reportedly the filmmakers came to my mom and said, "There's a concept. We want Miko to deliver this dialogue. Are you okay with this?" My mom didn't answer immediately. She said, "Give me a moment, let me sleep on it" and took some time. She really wrestled with it. She said she was hesitant, but she felt it could end up as one of the most memorable lines from the movie and history proved her correct.