Arnold Schwarzenegger virtually surprises his 'Kindergarten Cop' cast mates

Arnold Schwarzenegger virtually reunited with some the young cast mates of his 1990 movie, "Kindergarten Cop." Credit: Getty Images / Robert Cianflone
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a surprise guest Monday at a 30th-anniversary Zoom reunion of some of the child actors from his 1990 action-comedy "Kindergarten Cop."
To the astonishment of Christian Cousins, Miko Hughes, twins Krystle and Tiffany Mataras, Brian Wagner and Adam Wylie, host Ethan Alter brought Schwarzenegger on partway through. The star and former California governor shared memories of shooting the film in which he played a police detective, Kimble, who goes undercover as a teacher in an Oregon kindergarten.
"Without any doubt," he told the former child actor, "it was the performance of you kids that really made this movie, because that's what made it endearing, that's what made it successful, and people wanted to watch it over and over again." He added that "it was a warm-up for my kids. ... By hanging out with you guys between the breaks and talking to you guys and all that, this movie really helped me become a better parent myself with my kids."
He recalled that he and director Ivan Reitman eventually "realized that when I said certain lines in the class, because of my accent and because the way I say things, the kids were laughing. I would just scream loud, 'It's not a tumor, it's not a tumor at all!' and the kids would be laughing instead of being scared."
Quoting the filmmaker, Schwarzenegger said Reitman told him afterward that the shots of the kids unexpectedly laughing at the tumor line was going into the movie, " 'Because if the kids laugh at the way you sound, then I think the audience will laugh, too.' And that's exactly what happened, so those lines became classic lines."
As he prepared to take his leave, the 75-year-old star delighted the group by offering to have an in-person reunion at his home post-pandemic. Then after all had said their goodbyes — some affectionately calling him "Mr. Kimble" — Schwarzenegger smiled and told them, "I'll be back!"
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