I'm Known As the ‘Boys Have a Penis’ Kid from the Classic 1990 Film: A Candid Conversation.
The Austrian Oak is rightfully celebrated as an action movie legend. However, at the height of his blockbuster fame in the late 20th century, he also delivered several surprisingly great comedies. A prime example is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its 35th anniversary this December.
The Story and An Iconic Moment
In the 1990 movie, Schwarzenegger portrays a undercover cop who goes undercover as a schoolteacher to locate a fugitive. For much of the story, the crime storyline acts as a loose framework for the star to share adorable moments with his young class. Without a doubt the standout involves a child named Joseph, who spontaneously rises and declares the stoic star, “Boys have a penis, and girls get a vagina.” Schwarzenegger replies icily, “I appreciate the insight.”
That iconic child was portrayed by youth performer Miko Hughes. Beyond this role included a notable part on Full House playing the antagonist to the Olsen twins and the haunting part of the child who returns in the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Hughes remains active today, with several projects listed on his IMDb. Furthermore, he frequently attends fan conventions. Recently shared his recollections from the set of Kindergarten Cop 35 years later.
Memories from the Set
Question: Starting off, 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.
Wow, I can't remember being four. Do you remember anything from that time?
Yeah, somewhat. They're brief images. They're like visual recollections.
Do you recall how you got the part in Kindergarten Cop?
My family, especially my mother would accompany me to auditions. Often it was a mass tryout. There'd be a room full of young actors and we'd all just have to wait, enter the casting office, be in there less than five minutes, deliver a quick line they wanted and that's all. My parents would feed me the lines and then, when I became literate, that was probably the first stuff I was reading.
Do you have a specific memory of meeting Arnold? What was your take on him?
He was incredibly nice. He was enjoyable. He was pleasant, which I suppose stands to reason. It'd be weird if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom, that surely wouldn't foster a good work environment. He was fun to be around.
“It would be strange if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom.”
I knew he was a major movie star because my family informed me, but I had not actually watched his movies. I felt the importance — like, that's cool — but he didn't really intimidate me. He was simply playful and I only wanted to hang out with him when he was available. He was busy, obviously, but he'd kind of play with us here and there, and we would dangle from his limbs. He'd flex and we'd be hanging off. He was incredibly giving. He gifted all the students in the classroom a Sony Walkman, which at the time was like an iPhone. This was the coolest device, that iconic bright 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 genuine metal whistle. He had the teacher's 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 is such a landmark. It was a huge film, and it was a wonderful time, and you would think, in retrospect, I would want my memories to be of collaborating with Schwarzenegger, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, traveling to Oregon, the production design, but my memories are of being a selective diner at lunch. Like, they got everyone pizza, but I wasn't a pizza fan. All I would eat was the pepperoni off the top. Then, the original Game Boy was new. That was the big craze, 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 felt accomplished. So, it's all childhood recollections.
The Infamous Moment
OK, the infamous quote, do you remember the context? Did you understand the words?
At the time, I probably didn't know what the word taboo meant, but I knew it was provocative and it caused the crew to chuckle. I knew it was kind of something I wouldn't usually utter, but I was given an exception in this case because it was comedic.
“My mom thought hard about it.”
How it came about, based on what I was told, was they were still developing characters. Some character lines were written into the script, but once they had the entire ensemble assembled, it wasn't necessarily improv, but they developed it during shooting and, I suppose someone in charge 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 answer immediately. She said, "I need to consider this, I need time" and took some time. She deliberated carefully. She said she wasn't sure, but she thought it will probably be one of the unforgettable moments from the movie and she was right.