Christian Cousins, the former child actor who shared the role of Dominic Palmieri in Kindergarten Cop with his twin brother Joey, has passed away at the age of 43.
His brother, Jonas Roeser, announced the news of his death in an Instagram post last month, revealing that Cousins had been “very sick with liver disease.” The post, dated October 22, did not elaborate on the cause of death or mention the exact date of his passing.
“It’s hard to share that my brother, Christian Cousins, has passed away,” Roeser stated.
Roeser explained that he and the twins shared the same biological father but were raised in different states—Christian and Joey in California, while he grew up in Washington. He mentioned that he did not get to know them until he was in college, although he had watched their performances on screen prior to that.
“Those roles are just a small aspect of how I will remember Christian,” Roeser wrote. “He was a vibrant character, bursting with enthusiasm and ambition, with grand stories and even bigger aspirations.”
Cousins and his twin brother portrayed Dominic Palmieri in the 1990 comedy Kindergarten Cop, which featured Arnold Schwarzenegger as a police detective who goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher. The brothers alternated in the role, acting alongside Schwarzenegger and Penelope Ann Miller.
During a 30th anniversary reunion, Schwarzenegger remarked that the children “made this movie” and credited their performances for making the film endearing to audiences.
Penelope Ann Miller, left, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, in Kindergarten Cop. (Universal Pictures)
In addition to his role in Kindergarten Cop, Cousins was also a well-known figure on television during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He and Joey featured in nearly 60 episodes of the prime-time soap opera Knots Landing, playing Bobby Gibson Ewing from 1987 to 1992. The twins also appeared in several other productions, such as Critters 3 (1991), Intruders (1992), and Twin Sitters (1994), before stepping away from acting in 1995.
In his heartfelt tribute, Roeser expressed comfort in the belief that his brother is no longer in pain.
“It brings me solace to think he is now in heaven with his mother, liberated from the suffering he endured,” he wrote. “Rest easy, Christian. I hope your spirit is at peace and that you have found tranquility.”