Christian Cousins, the former child actor who shared the screen with Arnold Schwarzenegger as young Dominic Palmieri in the 1990 comedy Kindergarten Cop, has died at the age of 43 after battling liver disease.
The former actor died in October. Authorities and family members confirmed he was found dead at his Southern California home on October 20. Relatives requested a welfare check when they were unable to reach him. His half-brother, Jonas Roeser, announced the tragedy publicly through an emotional social media tribute.
Early Acting Roots in Orange County
Christian Cousins was born on March 17, 1983, in Orange County, California. He and his identical twin brother, Joseph “Joey” Cousins, grew up in Laguna Niguel. Their careers in the entertainment industry began early. Landing their first acting job at just five years old in a 1988 episode of the television series Highway to Heaven, the twins quickly became fixtures of television and film sets during the late 1980s and 1990s.
The brothers shared roles so production schedules could keep moving forward under strict child labor regulations in Hollywood. Their first major television break came on the long-running CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing. Between 1987 and 1993, the pair took turns playing Bobby Gibson Ewing across nearly 60 episodes of the drama.
Sharing the Screen With Arnold Schwarzenegger
In 1990, the brothers landed their most enduring cinematic roles. They were cast to share the part of Dominic Palmieri, the sweet and shy boy at the center of the criminal investigation in Kindergarten Cop. The Ivan Reitman-directed film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as an undercover Los Angeles Police Department detective who poses as an elementary school teacher to find a dangerous drug dealer’s hidden family.
The family comedy grossed over $202 million globally and became one of the highest-earning films of its release year. During a virtual 30th-anniversary cast reunion hosted by Yahoo Entertainment in 2020, Cousins reflected on his experience acting in some of the film’s most intense scenes.
Following that same reunion, Cousins shared memories with Schwarzenegger. He said that he had previously seen a child in audition rooms in Los Angeles who would interrupt the directors to ask if the role of Dominic had already been cast.
Following their breakout success, the twins appeared in a variety of television shows and films throughout the decade. These projects included Critters 3, Eerie, Indiana, Empty Nest, and the 1994 family comedy Twin Sitters, which marked their final film credit before they retired from acting in 1995.
Life Beyond the Screen
Away from Hollywood, Cousins built a career as a furniture business executive and co-owned a CBD enterprise. In his final social media post on Facebook, the former actor shared a smiling close-up photograph of himself. A user complimented the image as “That’s a great picture!” Cousins replied with characteristic humor, writing, “Not terrible for 41 and barely healthy cuz! lol.”
“It’s hard to share that my brother, Christian Cousins, has passed away,” Roeser wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Jonas Roeser, verified role
Roeser added that his memories of Christian reached far beyond his early credits on television and film.
But those roles are only a small part of how I’ll remember Christian. 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.
Jonas Roeser, verified role
Tiffany and Krystle Mataras starred alongside the twins in Kindergarten Cop. They expressed shock upon learning the news through Roeser’s tribute, writing, “We had NO idea.” “Someone literally just told us.” “We’re so sorry.” “We have such fond memories with Chris and Joe and our family.” Cousins is survived by his twin brother, Joseph, and his half-brother, Jonas.
