I Am the ‘Boys Have a Penis’ Kid from the Arnold Schwarzenegger Comedy: A Candid Conversation.

The Austrian Oak is best known as an action movie legend. However, during the peak of his blockbuster fame in the 1980s and 1990s, he also headlined several surprisingly great comedies. A prime example is Kindergarten Cop, which hits its 35th anniversary this holiday season.

The Role and An Iconic Moment

In the hit comedy, Schwarzenegger portrays a tough police officer who goes undercover as a schoolteacher to locate a fugitive. Throughout the movie, the procedural element serves as a loose framework for the star to have charming interactions with kids. Without a doubt the standout features a child named Joseph, who out of nowhere announces and informs the stoic star, “Males have a penis, and girls get a vagina.” Schwarzenegger replies icily, “Thank you for that information.”

That iconic child was portrayed by child star Miko Hughes. In addition to this part featured a character arc on Full House playing the antagonist to the child stars and the haunting part of the youngster who comes back in the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Hughes remains active today, with multiple films on the horizon. He also is a regular on the con circuit. Not long ago recalled his experiences from the production after all this time.

A Young Actor's Perspective

Interviewer: First, 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 have no memory from being four. Do you have any memories from that time?

Yeah, somewhat. They're snapshots. 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. Frequently it was an open call. There'd be 20, 30 kids and we'd all just have to wait, be seen, be in there briefly, deliver a quick line they wanted and that's all. 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 a specific memory of meeting Arnold? What was your feeling about him?

He was incredibly nice. He was fun. He was pleasant, which arguably isn't too surprising. It would be strange if he was unpleasant to all the kids in the classroom, that surely wouldn't foster a good work environment. He was a joy to have on set.

“It'd be weird if he was a dick to all the kids in the classroom.”

I was aware he was a major movie star because I was told, but I had not actually watched his movies. I felt the importance — it was exciting — but he wasn't scary to me. He was just fun and I just wanted to play with him when he wasn't busy. He was occupied, of course, 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 really, really generous. He purchased for each child in the classroom a yellow cassette player, which at the time was like an iPhone. It was the coolest device, that distinctive classic yellow cassette player. I used to rock out to the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for ages on that thing. It finally gave out. I also was given a genuine metal whistle. He had the referee's whistle, and the kids all received one too as well.

Do you remember your experience as being positive?

You know, it's funny, that movie became a phenomenon. It was a huge film, and it was such an amazing experience, and you would think, in retrospect, I would want my memories to be of collaborating with Schwarzenegger, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, traveling to Oregon, the production design, but my memories are of being a really picky eater at lunch. Like, they got everyone pizza, but I avoided pizza. All I would eat was the meat from the top. Then, the first-generation Game Boy was brand new. That was the coolest toy, and I was proficient. I was the smallest kid and some of the older kids would bring me their Game Boys to pass certain levels on games because I was able to, and I was felt accomplished. So, it's all childhood recollections.

The Line

OK, the infamous quote, do you remember anything about it? Did you understand the words?

At the time, I probably didn't know what the word shocking meant, but I understood it was edgy and it got a big laugh. I was aware it was kind of something I wasn't supposed to do, but I was given an exception in this case because it was humorous.

“It was a difficult decision for her.”

How it was conceived, based on what I was told, was they didn't have specific roles. Some character lines were written into the script, but once they had the kids together, it wasn't necessarily improv, but they worked on it while filming and, I suppose someone in charge came to my mom and said, "We're thinking. We want Miko to deliver this dialogue. Are you okay with this?" My mom paused. She said, "I need to consider this, let me sleep on it" and took a day or two. It was a tough call for her. She said she had doubts, but she believed it would likely become one of the unforgettable moments from the movie and history proved her correct.