I Was the ‘Penis and Vagina’ Kid from the Arnold Schwarzenegger Comedy: An Interview.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is best known as an Hollywood heavyweight. However, in the midst of his star power in the 1980s and 1990s, he also delivered several critically acclaimed comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its 35th anniversary this holiday season.

The Role and That Line

In the hit comedy, Schwarzenegger embodies a tough police officer who goes undercover as a schoolteacher to catch a killer. During the movie, the crime storyline functions as a loose framework for Arnold to have charming interactions with kids. Without a doubt the standout belongs to a child named Joseph, who spontaneously rises and states the former bodybuilder, “Boys have a penis, females have a vagina.” The Terminator deadpans, “Thank you for that information.”

The young actor was portrayed by child star Miko Hughes. His career encompassed a notable part on Full House as the schoolyard menace to the famous sisters and the character of the child who returns in the film version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He still works in film today, with several projects listed on his IMDb. He also frequently attends the con circuit. Not long ago shared his experiences from the production 35 years later.

Memories from the Set

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

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

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

Yeah, a little bit. They're brief images. They're like picture memories.

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

My family, especially my mother would bring me to auditions. Frequently it was an open call. There'd be a room full of young actors and we'd all simply wait around, go into the room, be in there for a very short time, do whatever little line they wanted and then leave. My parents would coach me on the dialogue 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 feeling about 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 productive set. He was great to work with.

“It would be strange if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom.”

I was aware he was a big action star because I was told, but I had never really seen his movies. I sensed the excitement — he was a big deal — but he wasn't scary to 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 sometimes engage here and there, and we would dangle from his limbs. He'd flex and we'd be hanging off. He was really, really generous. He gifted all the students in the classroom a yellow cassette player, which at the time was like an iPhone. It 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 referee's whistle, and the kids all got a whistle as well.

Do you remember your days on set 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, as an adult, I would want my memories to be of working with Arnold, the legendary director, traveling to Oregon, seeing the set, but my memories are of being a selective diner at lunch. For example, they got everyone pizza, but I wasn't a pizza fan. All I would eat was the meat from the top. Then, the original Game Boy was brand new. That was the hot thing, and I was quite skilled. I was the smallest kid and some of the older kids would hand me their devices to get past hard parts on games because I knew how, and I was really proud of that. So, it's all childhood recollections.

That Famous Quote

OK, the infamous quote, do you remember anything about it? Did you know what you were saying?

At the time, I probably didn't know what the word taboo meant, but I understood it was edgy and it caused the crew to chuckle. I knew it was kind of something I shouldn't normally say, but I was given approval in this case because it was comedic.

“It was a difficult decision for her.”

How it originated, according to family lore, was they didn't have specific roles. A few scenes were written into the script, but once they had the kids together, it wasn't pure improvisation, but they worked on it while filming and, reportedly the filmmakers came to my mom and said, "We're thinking. We want Miko to deliver this dialogue. Are you okay with this?" My mom didn't answer immediately. She said, "Give me a moment, I need time" and took a short while. She really wrestled with it. She said she wasn't sure, but she felt it could end up as one of the most memorable lines from the movie and her instinct was correct.