I Am the ‘Penis and Vagina’ Kid from the Classic 1990 Film: A Look Back.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is universally recognized as an iconic tough guy. Yet, in the midst of his blockbuster fame in the eighties and nineties, he also delivered several surprisingly great comedies. A prime example is Kindergarten Cop, which marks its 35th anniversary this holiday season.

The Role and That Line

In the hit comedy, Schwarzenegger embodies a hardened detective who poses as a schoolteacher to track down a criminal. Throughout the story, the crime storyline acts as a loose framework for Arnold to have charming interactions with kids. The most unforgettable involves a child named Joseph, who spontaneously rises and states the actor, “Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina.” The Terminator responds dryly, “I appreciate the insight.”

The young actor was played by former young actor Miko Hughes. His career included a character arc on Full House as the schoolyard menace to the famous sisters 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 several projects in development. Additionally, he frequently attends popular culture events. He recently recalled his memories from the filming of the classic 35 years later.

Memories from the Set

Q: To begin, 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.

That's impressive, I can't remember being four. Do you have any memories from that time?

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

Do you recall how you landed the job in Kindergarten Cop?

My parents, primarily my mom would take me to auditions. Frequently it was like a cattle call. There'd be a room full of young actors and we'd all simply wait around, enter the casting office, be in there for a very short time, read a small part they wanted and that was it. My parents would coach me on the dialogue and then, once I learned to read, that was the initial content I was reading.

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

He was very kind. He was enjoyable. He was good-natured, which I guess stands to reason. It would be strange if he was mean to all the kids in the classroom, that surely wouldn't foster a positive atmosphere. He was a joy to have on set.

“It would have been odd if he was a dick to all the kids in the classroom.”

I knew he was a big action star because my family informed me, but I had not actually watched his movies. I sensed the excitement — he was a big deal — but he didn't frighten me. He was merely entertaining and I just wanted to play with him when he had time. He was working hard, but he'd occasionally joke around here and there, and we would dangle from his limbs. He'd flex and we'd be holding on. He was exceptionally kind. He bought every kid in the classroom a personal stereo, which at the time was like an iPhone. That was the must-have gadget, that funky old yellow cassette player. I used to rock out to the Power Rangers soundtrack and the Ninja Turtles soundtrack for years on that thing on that thing. It wore out in time. I also was given a real silver whistle. He had the referee's whistle, and the kids all received one too as well.

Do you remember your experience as being fun?

You know, it's amusing, that movie became a phenomenon. 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 the star himself, working with [director] Ivan Reitman, traveling to Oregon, 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 Nintendo Game Boy was new. That was the hot thing, and I was pretty good at it. I was the youngest and some of the older kids would ask for my help to beat difficult stages on games because I knew how, and I was quite pleased with myself. So, it's all childhood recollections.

The Line

OK, that specific dialogue, do you remember anything about it? Did you understand the words?

At the time, I wasn't fully aware of what the word taboo meant, but I understood it was edgy and it made adults laugh. I was aware it was kind of something I wasn't supposed to do, but I was given special permission in this case because it was funny.

“It was a difficult decision for her.”

How it was conceived, according to family lore, was they didn't have specific roles. Some character lines were established early on, but once they had the kids together, it wasn't pure improvisation, but they developed it during shooting and, reportedly it's either the director or producers came to my mom and said, "There's a concept. We want Miko to say this. Are you okay with this?" My mom didn't answer immediately. She said, "Give me a moment, I'll decide tomorrow" and took a short while. It was a tough call for her. She said she had doubts, but she thought it could end up as one of the unforgettable moments from the movie and her instinct was correct.