Former child actor Christian Cousins, best known for sharing the role of Dominic Palmieri in the 1990 comedy ‘Kindergarten Cop’ and playing Bobby Ewing on the CBS soap opera ‘Knots Landing’ alongside his twin brother Joseph “Joey” Cousins, has died after battling liver disease. He was 43.
Cousins died on Oct. 20, according to entertainment outlet TMZ and Daily Express US. His half-brother Jonas Roeser first shared the news on Oct. 22 in an Instagram post before major entertainment outlets reported his death on Friday, Nov. 13.
“It’s hard to share that my brother, Christian Cousins, has passed away,” Roeser wrote. “Christian and his twin brother, Joseph “Joey” Cousins, are my brothers through my biological father. They grew up in California while I was in Washington and I didn’t get to know them until I was in college. Before that, I grew up watching them on television in ‘Knots Landing’ and the lead role of Dominic in ‘Kindergarten Cop’ with Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
Roeser added that his brother’s childhood television and film work represented only a fraction of how those closest to him knew him.
“He was a character, full of passion and energy, with big stories and even bigger dreams. Christian had been very sick with liver disease. It brings me comfort to believe he is now in heaven with his mother, free from the pain he was carrying. Rest easy, Christian. I hope your soul is at rest and that you’ve found peace. You are my brother and you will be missed.”
Childhood roles in ‘Kindergarten Cop’ and ‘Knots Landing’
Born in March 1983 in Orange County, California, Christian and Joey Cousins made their television acting debut at age 5 in a 1988 episode of ‘Highway to Heaven,’ TV Insider reported. In 1990, the twins made their feature film debut in Universal Pictures’ action-comedy ‘Kindergarten Cop,’ directed by Ivan Reitman. Alternating in the role of Dominic, the young son of Schwarzenegger’s undercover detective character, allowed the production to comply with California child labor laws restricting how many hours a single child actor could work on set each day, according to IBTimes. The comedy earned approximately $202 million at the global box office.
On television, Cousins appeared in 57 episodes of CBS’s prime-time drama ‘Knots Landing’ as Bobby Ewing, the young son of Gary and Val. Outlets differ on the exact years of his run on the series: TMZ lists the twins’ tenure as 1987 to 1993, Daily Express US places it from 1987 to 1990 ahead of ‘Kindergarten Cop,’ and Variety states Cousins landed the 57-episode role after his 1990 movie debut.
Life after Hollywood and cast tributes
Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cousins also appeared in ‘Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer,’ ‘Father Dowling Mysteries,’ ‘Eerie, Indiana,’ ‘Intruders,’ ‘Empty Nest,’ ‘Critters 3,’ and ‘A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion.’ Both Christian and Joey retired from acting after appearing in the 1995 comedy ‘Twin Sitters,’ Daily Express US reported.
Although he lived largely out of the public eye after leaving Hollywood in 1995, Cousins joined Schwarzenegger and fellow cast members in 2020 for a virtual 30th-anniversary ‘Kindergarten Cop’ reunion hosted by Yahoo, according to Us Weekly and IBTimes. Following Roeser’s tribute, ‘Kindergarten Cop’ co-stars Tiffany and Krystle Mataras shared condolences on Instagram through their joint account, recalling fond memories with Christian, Joey, and their family. Details regarding funeral arrangements have not been made public, IBTimes reported.