Former child star Christian Cousins, who appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the beloved 1990 comedy Kindergarten Cop, has died at just 43 years old following a serious illness.
The actor, who also appeared on the hit television drama Knots Landing, died on October 20, 2026. His death was confirmed by his half-brother, Jonas Roeser, in an emotional social media tribute posted two days later, although news of his passing did not become widely publicized until November 13.
Roeser revealed that Cousins had been battling liver disease and was seriously ill before his death.
“Christian had been very sick with liver disease,” Roeser wrote on Instagram. “It brings me comfort to believe he is now in heaven with his mother, free from the pain he was carrying.”
Further details about his medical condition and the circumstances surrounding his death have not been publicly disclosed.
Cousins first captured audiences’ attention as a young child when he and his identical twin brother, Joseph “Joey” Cousins, shared the role of Dominic in Kindergarten Cop.
The popular comedy starred Schwarzenegger as John Kimble, a tough undercover police detective forced to pose as a kindergarten teacher while investigating a dangerous criminal.
Although the twins were still young children when the movie was filmed, their performances helped make the 1990 hit a favorite among audiences who grew up watching it.
The brothers also shared the role of Bobby Gibson Ewing on the long-running CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing, appearing in dozens of episodes during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Born on March 17, 1983, in Orange County, California, Cousins began acting at an early age. His other credits included Highway to Heaven, Critters 3, Eerie, Indiana, Intruders and Twin Sitters, before he largely stepped away from Hollywood in the mid-1990s.
In a 2020 Kindergarten Cop cast reunion, Cousins reflected on his unusual childhood in Hollywood, recalling how he and his twin landed their roles after meeting director Ivan Reitman and Schwarzenegger.
But behind the familiar face from the big screen was a man whose family says had an enormous personality and dreams that extended far beyond acting.
In his heartbreaking tribute, Roeser explained that he and his younger brothers grew up in different states. While Christian and Joey were raised in California, Roeser lived in Washington and initially knew the twins primarily through their television appearances.
He did not truly get to know them until he was in college.
“But those roles are only a small part of how I’ll remember Christian,” Roeser wrote.
“He was a character, full of passion and energy, with big stories and even bigger dreams.”
Roeser ended his tribute with a simple, emotional farewell.
“You are my brother and you will be missed.”
Cousins’ death has brought renewed attention to the childhood performances that made him recognizable to millions of moviegoers and television viewers.
Although his acting career was relatively brief, his work in Kindergarten Cop and Knots Landing remains part of the entertainment history of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
He is survived by his twin brother, Joey, and other family members.
For fans who remember the young boy sharing scenes with Schwarzenegger more than three decades ago, his death at just 43 marks a heartbreaking loss.