I'm Known As the ‘Penis and Vagina’ Kid from Kindergarten Cop: A Look Back.

The Austrian Oak is universally recognized as an action movie legend. Yet, in the midst of his cinematic dominance in the 1980s and 1990s, he also starred in several genuinely hilarious comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which hits its 35-year mark this holiday season.

The Film and An Iconic Moment

In the hit comedy, Schwarzenegger embodies a undercover cop who masquerades as a elementary educator to locate a fugitive. During the movie, the procedural element functions as a simple backdrop for the star to have charming interactions with kids. Without a doubt the standout features a child named Joseph, who spontaneously stands up and states the former bodybuilder, “Males have a penis, females have a vagina.” Arnold replies icily, “Thank you for that information.”

The boy behind the line was portrayed by child star Miko Hughes. In addition to this part encompassed a recurring role on Full House as the schoolyard menace to the child stars and the pivotal role of the resurrected boy in the film version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He continues to act today, with multiple films in development. Additionally, he is a regular on the con circuit. He recently shared his memories from the set of Kindergarten Cop over three decades on.

Behind the Scenes

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

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

Wow, I don't recall being four. Do you remember anything from that time?

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

Do you recall how you got the part in Kindergarten Cop?

My family, especially my mother would accompany me to auditions. Sometimes it was an open call. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all simply wait around, go into the room, be in there less than five minutes, read a small part they wanted and then leave. My parents would help me learn the words 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 impression of him?

He was incredibly nice. He was playful. He was good-natured, which arguably isn't too surprising. It'd be weird if he was a dick to all the kids in the classroom, that probably wouldn't make for a productive set. He was a joy to have on set.

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

I knew he was a huge celebrity because my family informed me, but I had never really seen his movies. I felt the importance — he was a big deal — but he didn't frighten me. He was just fun and I just wanted to play with him when he was available. He was busy, obviously, but he'd sometimes engage here and there, and we would hang off of his arms. He'd flex and we'd be holding on. He was exceptionally kind. He purchased for each child in the classroom a personal stereo, which at the time was like an iPhone. This was the must-have gadget, that distinctive classic yellow cassette player. I listened to the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for years on that thing on that thing. It eventually broke. 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 positive?

You know, it's interesting, that movie was this cultural thing. It was a major production, and it was a wonderful time, and you would think, as an adult, I would want my memories to be of the star himself, the legendary director, visiting Astoria, seeing the set, but my memories are of being a selective diner at lunch. For instance, 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 just released. That was the big craze, and I was quite skilled. I was the youngest and some of the older kids would ask for my help to pass certain levels on games because I could do it, and I was really proud of that. So, it's all youthful anecdotes.

The Line

OK, the infamous quote, do you remember anything about it? Did you grasp the meaning?

At the time, I likely didn't understand what the word taboo meant, but I understood it was edgy and it caused the crew to chuckle. I knew it was kind of something I wasn't supposed to do, but I was given special permission in this case because it was comedic.

“She really wrestled with it.”

How it originated, according to family lore, was they were still developing characters. A few scenes were written into the script, but once they had the entire ensemble assembled, it wasn't pure improvisation, but they developed it during shooting and, reportedly someone in charge came to my mom and said, "We have an idea. We want Miko to have this line. Are you okay with this?" My mom paused. She said, "Give me a moment, I need time" and took a short while. 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 she was right.