Kindergarten Cop is a movie I can watch over and over again, and a big reason is Pamela Reed’s amazing performance as Phoebe O’Hara.
Universal / Via Everett Collection
Alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pamela Reed portrayed his charming, witty, hypoglycemic detective partner-in-crime. To celebrate the 35th anniversary, Pamela and I hopped on Zoom to reminisce about being a part of the beloved comedy, working with Arnold, and the hilarious moments behind the scenes.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The role of Phoebe O’Hara was originally written for a man.
Universal / Via Everett Collection
Pamela: The part of Phoebe was originally written for a man, and [director] Ivan Reitman decided to make the role female. I think that’s why the role had more “moxie,” especially being 35 years ago.
I remember on my way to the audition, I had “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin blasting in my Jeep. I remember driving down the road toward the studio, and the song just lifted me.
There must have been a million women in the building over at Universal, where Ivan was auditioning people for the part of Phoebe. I went in, and I saw some women that I knew. We’re all saying, “Hi,” but the whole time, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was humming in the back of my brain.
I went into the audition, and I was just really relaxed and did a couple of readings. They seemed to think it was halfway decent! I didn’t read with Arnold at the audition. The first time I met Arnold was at a dinner Ivan and his wife Genevieve threw at their home for everyone involved in the film.
Related: Absolutely Nobody Under The Age Of 46 Can Ace This Classic Movie Quotes Quiz
Universal / Via Everett Collection
Pamela and Arnold had an instant, natural rapport.
Universal / Via Everett Collection
Pamela: I had a lot of fun working with Arnold; he’s such an iconic figure. I haven’t seen Arnold in a long time, but he has a gorgeous sense of humor about himself. Arnold knows what’s up, and so he will play this behemoth of a human being, and yet, on the inside, is this goofy little guy who’s willing to just go anywhere.
When you play a character like Phoebe, this little gal with a tall mouth who isn’t intimidated by him, it’s a lot of fun. It makes for great comedy. Arnold loved it, and so I think that just led to a really easy rapport. It wasn’t forced, and it came out of what he and I found with each other.
Off camera, in the evening, some of his entourage would go work out with him. I told him right away, I said, “I’m not going to the gym with you, buddy. I’m gonna go have dinner!” (Laughs) Our relationship was similar off-camera, just as it was on-camera. We had a lovely time together.
Arnold’s involvement in working with terminally ill children deeply moved her.
Universal / Via Everett Collection
Pamela: There were tender moments with Arnold. He was very involved with children who had limited time left. They would come to the set, and he would see them and spend time with them and their families. I’m glad that I got to be a little part of it, because he introduced me, and he would include the people around him.
I remember walking through this underpass at Universal one day. Arnold and I were taking a break from shooting, and we were just walking together. I said, “It’s really lovely that you do this.” He said, “It’s their gift to me. But what’s really hard is getting the letter.”
The “Ursula” scene almost broke Arnold, where he couldn’t stop laughing.
Universal / Via Kindergarten Cop
Pamela: I’d been listening to Arnold talk. I knew I was gonna have to do Arnold’s accent for this scene. I didn’t run anything by him because I didn’t want him to hear it beforehand.
We were sitting around the table, and Ivan shot Arnold first. I’m being Ursula and doing the whole accent, and Arnold just lost it! We had to do take after take because he couldn’t keep it together. He’s just so much fun. Arnold is a wonderful comedian and when he does comedy, I think he’s enjoying it probably more than anybody else.
So Arnold just laughed and laughed and laughed. That scene went on forever, and finally the camera came around to me, and I thought, “Oh, my God, am I going to have anything left?” It was really fun, and we laughed a lot.
Universal / Via Kindergarten Cop
Pamela felt connected to the material and also shares Phoebe’s love of food.
Universal / Via Everett Collection
Pamela: I taught little kids for a year, which is what drove me to return to college, complete my degree, and attend a professional acting training program. This is actually my 50th year acting; I got my Equity card in 1975.
This script was so well written. It was material I understood and had a lot of fun with. I also love to eat, just like Phoebe, so no acting required there! (Laughs) One time, Arnold and I were eating together after filming. He looked at me, and he goes, “Oh, my God, you eat like her. You are her!”
Related: If You Haven’t Seen At Least 50/99 Of These Movies, You Really Must Hate The ‘90s
Pamela’s stunt person, Debbie Evans, did an amazing job getting hit by the car.
Universal / Via Kindergarten Cop
Pamela: In the scene, I ran down the street, and I’m holding the gun. Ivan’s yelling, “Cut, cut, cut!” He asked, “Don’t you know how to run with a gun?” I was like, “No, I don’t do those movies! I don’t know how to do that.” So they showed me how you hold a gun, and then my stunt person, Debbie Evans, stepped in for the car.
I would get to the car, and then she would take over. She hit that car, and she flew and rolled, and she landed maybe ten inches from the cement blocks that were the school building. She was so good, and she made me look so good.
I really respect the expertise, the time, and the effort that really good stunt people put into their craft. I am more than happy to turn my performance over at that moment.
Universal / Via Kindergarten Cop
“Not so tough without your car, are ya?” Behind the fight scene with Eleanor Crisp:
Universal / Via Kindergarten Cop
Pamela: For the baseball bat scene, the camera was below me, shooting up from Carroll’s point of view [Carroll Baker played Eleanor Crisp]. There was a pillow underneath the camera in front of it. I was directed to swing the bat, look into the pillow and then say the line, “Not so tough without your car…” looking down at it. I had to do it over and over and over — I can’t tell you how many times.
I finally looked up at Ivan. I was exhausted. I said, “How many times do you want me to do this?” He said, “As many times as I can get out of you, because it’s the line in the film that everybody’s going to remember.” He was right! At the end of that day, I slept quite nicely.
Later, I got to work with Carroll again in another series and asked for her to play my mom. That was a fun day. She’s a wonderful actress.
Related: Nobody Born After 1978 Can Identify 11/15 Of These Classic Disney Movies From A Single Image
Pamela loved how collaborative the set was, even getting to pitch her own ideas.
Universal / Via Kindergarten Cop
Pamela: Film is a collaboration. When you have someone like Arnold or Ivan Reitman at the helm, and they are as generous as they are, the collaboration comes from invention. For example, there’s a scene when Phoebe is sick, and Arnold picks me up. My legs are dangling in the headlights of the car. That was my idea.
I had suggested that to Ivan, and Ivan said, “Yeah, let’s do that. Let’s see what that looks like.” You don’t always get that opportunity as an actor on set. It’s really special.
35 years later, Kindergarten Cop remains one of her sweetest memories.
Universal / Via Everett Collection
Pamela: I haven’t seen Kindergarten Cop for a few years but I am reminded of it several times a week, all this time later. There’ll be somebody at a grocery store, or somebody at the airport, and it’s so lovely.
I don’t think there was a day that I didn’t enjoy myself on this film. I have many fond memories from the projects I’ve worked on, and I’m so grateful to have had this career. However, one of the sweetest moments was filming Kindergarten Cop.
You can never know what a project will become. You may like it or not like it, but the doing of it — the making of it — is really the memory for me. The making of Kindergarten Cop is, and will always remain, one of the sweetest of memories.
It was truly a delight to hear these memories! Thank you, Pamela, for sharing your insight into the classic comedy.
Kindergarten Cop can be rented on Amazon Prime.
Also in TVAndMovies: Which Greek God Would You Get Claimed By In “Percy Jackson”?
Also in TVAndMovies: Your Brain Is Functioning At A Higher Level If You Can Identify 15/17 Of These TV Shows Just By Their Living Rooms
Also in TVAndMovies: “Holy Sh*t!”: Jon Stewart Just Spotted A Weird New Clue About Trump’s Health