I Am the Iconic Line Kid from the Classic 1990 Film: A Candid Conversation.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is universally recognized as an iconic tough guy. However, during the peak of his blockbuster fame in the eighties and nineties, he also starred in several critically acclaimed comedies. Chief among them is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its 35-year mark this holiday season.
The Role and That Line
In the classic film, Schwarzenegger embodies a undercover cop who poses as a elementary educator to locate a fugitive. For much of the film's runtime, the investigation plot functions as a loose framework for Arnold to share adorable scenes with children. Arguably the most famous belongs to a child named Joseph, who out of nowhere rises and states the former bodybuilder, “Males have a penis, girls have a vagina.” Schwarzenegger replies icily, “Thanks for the tip.”
The boy behind the line was brought to life by youth performer Miko Hughes. His career encompassed a character arc on Full House playing the antagonist to the Olsen twins and the pivotal role of the child who returns in the film version of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. He still works in film today, with a slate of movies on the horizon. Additionally, he engages with fans at the con circuit. Recently discussed his experiences from the production 35 years later.
Behind the Scenes
Interviewer: First, 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.
That's impressive, I don't recall being four. Do you remember anything from that time?
Yeah, somewhat. They're snapshots. They're like picture memories.
Do you recall how you were cast in Kindergarten Cop?
My mother, mainly would accompany me to auditions. Sometimes it was a mass tryout. There'd be dozens of children and we'd all patiently queue, be seen, be in there briefly, do whatever little 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 any recollection of meeting Arnold? What was your feeling about him?
He was very kind. He was playful. He was good-natured, which arguably makes sense. It'd be weird if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom, that likely wouldn't create a positive atmosphere. He was fun to be around.
“It'd be weird if he was unpleasant 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 — it was exciting — but he didn't really intimidate me. He was just fun and I just wanted to play with him when he wasn't busy. He was working hard, but he'd kind of play with us here and there, and we would dangle from his limbs. He'd show his strength and we'd be dangling there. He was exceptionally kind. He gifted all the students in the classroom a yellow cassette player, 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 eventually broke. I also received a authentic coach's whistle. He had the referee's whistle, and the kids all got a whistle as well.
Do you remember your experience as being fun?
You know, it's funny, that movie was this cultural thing. It was a huge film, and it was a wonderful time, and you would think, looking back now, I would want my memories to be of working with Arnold, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, visiting Astoria, being on a professional set, but my memories are of being a selective diner 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 Nintendo Game Boy was just released. That was the hot thing, and I was pretty good at it. I was the smallest kid and some of the other children would hand me their devices to beat difficult stages on games because I knew how, and I was really proud of that. So, it's all little kid memories.
The Line
OK, that specific dialogue, do you remember anything about it? Did you understand the words?
At the time, I likely didn't understand what the word provocative meant, but I realized it got a reaction and it caused the crew to chuckle. I was aware it was kind of something I shouldn't normally say, but I was given approval in this case because it was funny.
“It was a difficult decision for her.”
How it came about, according to family lore, was they were still developing characters. Some character lines were part of the original screenplay, but once they had the kids together, it wasn't pure improvisation, but they refined it on set and, presumably the filmmakers 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, "Give me a moment, let me sleep on it" and took a day or two. She really wrestled with it. She said she had doubts, but she thought it will probably be one of the iconic quotes from the movie and she was right.