Arnold Schwarzenegger has said this is his favorite role of all his movies. It was a departure from his typical action heroes, and he loved working with the children.
Arnold Schwarzenegger had a few conditions before accepting the role of Kimble; he wanted Ivan Reitman to direct the film, he wanted a physical fitness theme, and he and Reitman wanted broken homes, child abuse, and family life written into the script.
Filmmakers recruited local Astoria kids to be extras in the school. They were paid $35 a day.
Arnold Schwarzenegger claimed that when he first started working with the kids he "was sweating. I felt like the character in the movie."
While filming in Oregon, Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a surprise commencement speech at Astoria High School.