I'm Known As the ‘Boys Have a Penis’ Kid from the Arnold Schwarzenegger Comedy: A Candid Conversation.

The Austrian Oak is rightfully celebrated as an action movie legend. But, in the midst of his blockbuster fame in the 1980s and 1990s, he also headlined several surprisingly great comedies. A prime example is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its 35-year mark this holiday season.

The Film and That Line

In the hit comedy, Schwarzenegger plays a hardened detective who poses as a schoolteacher to catch a killer. During the story, the investigation plot acts as a basic structure for the star to film humorous moments with his young class. Without a doubt the standout features a student named Joseph, who unprompted announces and declares the stoic star, “Boys have a penis, females have a vagina.” The Terminator deadpans, “Thank you for that information.”

The boy behind the line was portrayed by child star Miko Hughes. His career featured a notable part on Full House as the bully to the child stars and the character of the youngster who comes back in the film version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He continues to act today, with several projects listed on his IMDb. He also is a regular on popular culture events. He recently discussed his experiences from the production over three decades on.

Behind the Scenes

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

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

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

Yeah, somewhat. They're snapshots. They're like visual recollections.

Do you recall how you were cast in Kindergarten Cop?

My mother, mainly would take me to auditions. Often it was like a cattle call. There'd be 20, 30 kids and we'd all just have to wait, enter the casting office, be in there for a very short time, do whatever little line they wanted and then leave. 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 any recollection of meeting Arnold? What was your take on him?

He was extremely gentle. He was fun. He was pleasant, which I guess isn't too surprising. It would have been odd if he was a dick to all the kids in the classroom, that likely wouldn't create a positive atmosphere. He was a joy to have on set.

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

I was aware he was a big action star because that's what my parents told me, but I had barely seen his movies. I knew the air around him — it was exciting — but he didn't frighten me. He was simply playful and I only wanted to hang out with him when he wasn't busy. He was occupied, of course, 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 bought every kid in the classroom a yellow cassette player, which at the time was the hottest tech. It was the coolest device, that distinctive classic yellow cassette player. I played the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for years on that thing on that thing. It wore out in time. I also received a authentic coach's whistle. He had the referee's whistle, and the kids all were gifted copies as well.

Do you remember your time filming as being fun?

You know, it's interesting, that movie became a phenomenon. It was a huge film, and it was such an amazing experience, and you would think, in retrospect, I would want my memories to be of the star himself, the direction of Ivan Reitman, the location shoot, being on a professional set, but my memories are of being a really picky eater 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 new. That was the coolest toy, and I was proficient. I was the youngest and some of the other children would bring me their Game Boys to beat difficult stages on games because I knew how, and I was felt accomplished. So, it's all childhood recollections.

The Line

OK, the penis and vagina line, 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 realized it got a reaction and it made adults laugh. I understood it was kind of something I wasn't supposed to do, but I was given approval in this case because it was funny.

“It was a difficult decision for her.”

How it was conceived, based on what I was told, was they didn't have specific roles. Certain bits of dialogue were established early on, but once they had the whole cast on the set, it wasn't pure improvisation, but they worked on it while filming and, presumably the filmmakers came to my mom and said, "We have an idea. We want Miko to say this. Are you okay with this?" My mom didn't agree right away. She said, "Give me a moment, I'll decide tomorrow" and took a day or two. She really wrestled with it. She said she was hesitant, but she felt it will probably be one of the unforgettable moments from the movie and her instinct was correct.