I'm Known As the ‘Boys Have a Penis’ Kid from the Classic 1990 Film: A Look Back.

The action icon is rightfully celebrated as an iconic tough guy. Yet, at the height of his star power in the late 20th century, he also headlined several critically acclaimed comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which celebrates its three-and-a-half decade milestone this winter.

The Story and The Famous Scene

In the 1990 movie, Schwarzenegger portrays a tough police officer who poses as a schoolteacher to locate a fugitive. Throughout the film's runtime, the investigation plot acts as a loose framework for the star to have charming interactions with kids. Without a doubt the standout involves a little boy named Joseph, who unprompted announces and states the former bodybuilder, “It's boys who have a penis, girls have a vagina.” Schwarzenegger deadpans, “Thanks for the tip.”

The young actor was played by former young actor Miko Hughes. In addition to this part included a notable part on Full House playing the antagonist to the famous sisters and the haunting part of the youngster who comes back in the film version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He continues to act today, with a slate of movies listed on his IMDb. Furthermore, he frequently attends fan conventions. Not long ago recalled his recollections from the filming of the classic over three decades on.

Memories from the Set

Q: To begin, how old were you when you filmed Kindergarten Cop?

Miko Hughes: My understanding is I was four. I was the smallest of all the kids on set.

Wow, I can't remember being four. Do you have any memories from that time?

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

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

My parents, primarily my mom 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 briefly, deliver a quick line they wanted and that was it. My parents would feed me the lines 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 impression of him?

He was very kind. He was enjoyable. He was pleasant, which I guess isn't too surprising. It would have been odd if he was unpleasant 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 would have been odd if he was unpleasant to all the kids in the classroom.”

I was aware he was a major movie star because my family informed me, but I had not actually watched his movies. I sensed the excitement — he was a big deal — but he didn't frighten me. He was just fun and I was eager to interact with him when he was available. He was busy, obviously, but he'd occasionally joke around here and there, and we would dangle from his limbs. He'd show his strength and we'd be holding on. He was exceptionally kind. He gifted all the students in the classroom a personal stereo, which at the time was the hottest tech. That was the coolest device, that iconic bright yellow cassette player. I used to rock out to 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 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 fun?

You know, it's funny, that movie is such a landmark. It was such a big movie, and it was an incredible opportunity, and you would think, looking back now, I would want my memories to be of collaborating with Schwarzenegger, the legendary director, the location shoot, the production design, but my memories are of being a finitely child at lunch. For instance, they got everyone pizza, but I didn't even like pizza. All I would eat was the meat from the top. Then, the original Game Boy was brand new. That was the coolest toy, and I was quite skilled. I was the smallest kid and some of the bigger kids would hand me their devices to get past hard parts on games because I could do it, and I was felt accomplished. So, it's all little kid memories.

That Famous Quote

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

At the time, I wasn't fully aware of what the word shocking meant, but I realized it got a reaction and it caused the crew to chuckle. I was aware it was kind of something I wouldn't usually utter, but I was given approval 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 established early on, but once they had the kids together, it wasn't necessarily improv, but they worked on it while filming and, I suppose the filmmakers came to my mom and said, "We're thinking. We want Miko to have this line. Are you okay with this?" My mom didn't agree right away. She said, "Give me a moment, I'll decide tomorrow" and took some time. It was a tough call for her. She said she wasn't sure, but she felt it could end up as one of the iconic quotes from the movie and she was right.