Actor Christian Cousins, who rose to fame as a child star in the Dallas spin-off Knots Landing and alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the comedy Kindergarten Cop, has died at the age of 43. He had been suffering from liver disease before his death.
The news was confirmed by his brother Jonas Roeser in an Instagram post. Alongside images of the star as a child and as an adult, Roeser wrote: "It's hard to share that my brother, Christian Cousins, has passed away. Christian and his twin brother, Joseph 'Joey' Cousins, are my brothers through my biological father."
Brother's Tribute
Roeser explained that the brothers grew up in California while he was in Washington, and that he only got to know them when he was in college. Before that, he watched them on television in Knots Landing and in the lead role of Dominic in Kindergarten Cop.
He added: "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."
Career Highlights
Christian and his twin brother carved out a successful career as children. Due to strict laws limiting how long child actors can work, productions often employ twins so they can alternate. Their first acting job came at age five in an episode of Highway to Heaven.
They went on to appear in nearly 60 episodes of Knots Landing as Bobby Gibson Ewing between 1987 and 1992. While starring in the soap, they landed the big-screen role of Dominic opposite Schwarzenegger in the 1990 comedy. Their last credited role was in 1995 in the film Twin Sitters, where Christian played Bradley.
Other Roles and Reflection
Other notable roles included parts on shows such as The Father Dowling Mysteries and Wings, as well as film roles including the horror sequel Critters 3.
In 2020, Christian reunited with the Kindergarten Cop cast for an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. Speaking about how he and Joey got cast, he explained: "They knew that there was going to be a lot of limitations because of how many kids were involved in the movie and because of child labour rights and whatnot, because you can only work so many hours."
He recalled that the siblings "got hired on the first interview." Roeser concluded his tribute: "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."
