I Was the ‘Penis and Vagina’ Kid from Kindergarten Cop: A Candid Conversation.

The Austrian Oak is rightfully celebrated as an iconic tough guy. Yet, during the peak of his blockbuster fame in the 1980s and 1990s, he also delivered several surprisingly great comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which hits its three-and-a-half decade milestone this December.

The Film and An Iconic Moment

In the classic film, Schwarzenegger portrays a undercover cop who poses as a elementary educator to locate a fugitive. For much of the film's runtime, the investigation plot acts as a simple backdrop for the star to share adorable moments with his young class. The most unforgettable involves a child named Joseph, who unprompted announces and declares the former bodybuilder, “Males have a penis, girls have a vagina.” Arnold replies icily, “Thanks for the tip.”

The young actor was played by child star Miko Hughes. In addition to this part encompassed a character arc on Full House as the schoolyard menace to the Olsen twins and the pivotal role of the youngster who comes back in the film version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He continues to act today, with multiple films listed on his IMDb. Additionally, he engages with fans at the con circuit. Not long ago discussed his recollections from the set of Kindergarten Cop after all this time.

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 smallest of all the kids on set.

That's remarkable, I have no memory from being four. Do you retain any flashes from that time?

Yeah, to a degree. They're snapshots. They're like mental photographs.

Do you recall how you were cast in Kindergarten Cop?

My parents, primarily my mom would accompany me to auditions. Often it was like a cattle call. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all simply wait around, enter the casting office, be in there briefly, deliver a quick line they wanted and then leave. My parents would help me learn the words and then, as soon as I could read, 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 extremely gentle. He was fun. He was good-natured, which arguably stands to reason. It would have been odd if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom, that surely wouldn't foster a positive atmosphere. He was great to work with.

“It would have been odd if he was unpleasant to all the kids in the classroom.”

I knew he was a big action star because I was told, but I had never really seen his movies. I knew the air around him — it was exciting — but he didn't really intimidate me. He was simply playful and I only wanted to hang out with him when he had time. He was busy, obviously, but he'd occasionally joke around here and there, and we would hang off of his arms. He'd flex and we'd be hanging off. He was exceptionally kind. He bought every kid in the classroom a personal stereo, which at the time was like an iPhone. That was the coolest device, that iconic bright yellow cassette player. I played the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for ages on that thing. It eventually broke. I also was given a authentic coach's whistle. He had the teacher's whistle, and the kids all were gifted copies as well.

Do you remember your experience as being enjoyable?

You know, it's funny, that movie became a phenomenon. It was a major production, and it was an incredible opportunity, and you would think, in retrospect, I would want my memories to be of the star himself, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, the location shoot, the production design, but my memories are of being a selective diner at lunch. For example, they got everyone pizza, but I didn't even like pizza. All I would eat was the toppings only. Then, the original Game Boy was just released. That was the coolest toy, and I was pretty good at it. I was the youngest and some of the older kids would ask for my help to get past hard parts on games because I could do it, and I was quite pleased with myself. So, it's all little kid memories.

That Famous Quote

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

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

“My mom thought hard about it.”

How it originated, from what I understand, was they were still developing characters. 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, I suppose 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 didn't answer immediately. She said, "Give me a moment, let me sleep on it" and took a day or two. She really wrestled with it. She said she was hesitant, but she thought it would likely become one of the iconic quotes from the movie and history proved her correct.