I Am the Iconic Line Kid from the Classic 1990 Film: An Interview.

The Austrian Oak is best known as an iconic tough guy. However, during the peak of his cinematic dominance in the 1980s and 1990s, he also headlined several critically acclaimed comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which hits its 35th anniversary this holiday season.

The Story and That Line

In the 1990 movie, Schwarzenegger portrays a tough police officer who poses as a schoolteacher to catch a killer. For much of the story, the procedural element functions as a loose framework for the star to share adorable moments with his young class. Arguably the most famous features a student named Joseph, who unprompted stands up and informs the actor, “Males have a penis, and girls get a vagina.” The Terminator replies icily, “I appreciate the insight.”

The young actor was brought to life by child star Miko Hughes. His career included a recurring role on Full House playing the antagonist to the Olsen twins and the character of the youngster who comes back in the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He still works in film today, with a slate of movies listed on his IMDb. He also is a regular on the con circuit. Not long ago shared his memories from the production over three decades on.

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 have any memories from that time?

Yeah, somewhat. They're flashes. They're like picture memories.

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

My family, especially my mother would accompany me to auditions. Sometimes it was like a cattle call. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all patiently queue, 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, when I became literate, that was some of the first material I was reading.

Do you have an impression of meeting Arnold? What was your feeling about him?

He was very kind. He was playful. He was nice, which I guess isn't too surprising. It'd be weird if he was a dick to all the kids in the classroom, that probably wouldn't make for a good work environment. He was great to work with.

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

I understood he was a huge celebrity 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 frighten me. He was just fun and I was eager to interact with him when he had time. He was busy, obviously, but he'd occasionally joke around here and there, and we would hang off of his arms. He'd show his strength and we'd be dangling there. He was exceptionally kind. He bought every kid 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 ages on that thing. It eventually broke. I also received a genuine metal whistle. He had the referee'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 interesting, that movie was this cultural thing. It was a huge film, 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, visiting Astoria, seeing the set, but my memories are of being a finitely child at lunch. For example, they got everyone pizza, but I wasn't a pizza fan. All I would eat was the pepperoni off the top. Then, the first-generation Game Boy was just released. That was the coolest toy, and I was proficient. I was the youngest and some of the other children would ask for my help to get past hard parts on games because I knew how, 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 likely didn't understand what the word taboo meant, but I understood it was edgy and it made adults laugh. I understood it was kind of something I shouldn't normally say, but I was given special permission in this case because it was comedic.

“It was a difficult decision for her.”

How it originated, according to family lore, was they were still developing characters. Some character lines were established early on, but once they had the whole cast on the set, it wasn't necessarily improv, but they refined it on set and, I suppose someone in charge came to my mom and said, "There's a concept. We want Miko to deliver this dialogue. Are you okay with this?" My mom didn't answer immediately. She said, "Let me think about it, let me sleep on it" and took a short while. She deliberated carefully. She said she wasn't sure, but she felt it could end up as one of the unforgettable moments from the movie and history proved her correct.