I'm Known As the Iconic Line Kid from Kindergarten Cop: An Interview.

The action icon is universally recognized as an iconic tough guy. Yet, during the peak of his blockbuster fame in the late 20th century, he also headlined several critically acclaimed comedies. A prime example is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its 35th anniversary this winter.

The Film and That Line

In the classic film, Schwarzenegger portrays a hardened detective who poses as a kindergarten teacher to catch a killer. Throughout the film's runtime, the procedural element serves as a loose framework for the star to have charming scenes with children. The most unforgettable features a student named Joseph, who spontaneously rises and declares the former bodybuilder, “Boys have a penis, and girls get a vagina.” The Terminator deadpans, “Thank you for that information.”

The young actor was played by youth performer Miko Hughes. In addition to this part encompassed a notable part on Full House as the schoolyard menace to the child stars and the pivotal role of the child who returns in the screen translation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He still works in film today, with several projects in development. He also frequently attends popular culture events. Recently discussed his memories from the filming of the classic over three decades on.

Behind the Scenes

Q: To begin, 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 snapshots. They're like visual recollections.

Do you recall how you were cast in Kindergarten Cop?

My parents, primarily my mom would accompany me to auditions. Sometimes it was an open call. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all just have to wait, 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 an impression of meeting Arnold? What was your take on him?

He was incredibly nice. He was fun. He was nice, which arguably isn't too surprising. It would be strange if he was unpleasant to all the kids in the classroom, that likely wouldn't create 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 understood he was a huge celebrity because I was told, but I had never really seen his movies. I felt the importance — it was exciting — but he didn't really intimidate me. He was just fun and I only wanted to hang out with him when he wasn't busy. He was working hard, but he'd occasionally joke around here and there, and we would cling to his muscles. He'd tense up and we'd be dangling there. He was really, really generous. He purchased for each child in the classroom a Sony Walkman, which at the time was a major status symbol. That was the hottest tech out there, that iconic bright yellow cassette player. I listened to the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for a long time on that thing. It eventually broke. I also received a real silver whistle. He had the coach whistle, and the kids all got a whistle as well.

Do you remember your experience as being enjoyable?

You know, it's amusing, that movie was this cultural thing. It was a major production, and it was a wonderful time, and you would think, looking back now, I would want my memories to be of the star himself, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, visiting Astoria, seeing the set, but my memories are of being a finitely child at lunch. Like, 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 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 pass certain levels on games because I could do it, and I was felt accomplished. So, it's all youthful anecdotes.

That Famous Quote

OK, the infamous quote, do you remember the context? Did you understand the words?

At the time, I likely didn't understand what the word taboo meant, but I realized it got a reaction and it got a big laugh. I understood it was kind of something I wasn't supposed to do, but I was given an exception in this case because it was humorous.

“My mom thought hard about it.”

How it came about, according to family lore, was they were still developing characters. Certain bits of dialogue were written into the script, but once they had the whole cast on the set, it wasn't pure improvisation, but they developed it during shooting and, presumably 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 paused. She said, "Give me a moment, let me sleep on it" and took some time. She really wrestled with it. She said she was hesitant, but she felt it would likely become one of the most memorable lines from the movie and her instinct was correct.