Christian Cousins, Child Star in 'Knots Landing' and 'Kindergarten Cop,' Dies at 43

Christian Cousins, a former child actor known for his work alongside his identical twin brother on the long-running CBS soap opera Knots Landing and in the hit film Kindergarten Cop, has died. He was 43 years old. His half-brother, Jonas Roeser, confirmed the passing on Instagram, noting that Cousins had been battling liver disease until his death on October 20.

Roeser paid tribute to his late sibling in the social media post, describing him as a character who was full of passion and energy. He added that Cousins had big stories to tell and even bigger dreams, capturing the vibrant spirit that defined the actor's public persona.

Cousins and his twin brother Joseph first gained national attention when they were not yet four years old. The boys appeared as Bobby Ewing during the ninth season of Knots Landing, which began in 1987. They continued to share the role across 57 episodes of the series, which concluded its run in 1992. Their character was introduced in a November 1984 episode where the character is born and subsequently kidnapped, sparking a storyline that lasted an entire season.

The character of Bobby Ewing, who had a twin sister named Betsy, was named by the character Valene Ewing, played by Joan Van Ark. This naming honored the character played by Patrick Duffy on Dallas, after he was run over by a car driven by Katherine Wentworth, played by Morgan Brittany. The naming reflected the close production ties between Knots Landing and its parent series, Dallas, which was produced by Lorimar.

Beyond their soap opera fame, the twins starred in Kindergarten Cop in 1990. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film featured Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Kimble, a detective working undercover at an elementary school. Christian and Joseph portrayed Dominic, one of Kimble's students. In the plot, Dominic's mother is played by Penelope Ann Miller, and the character eventually becomes a hostage during a classroom incident.

Born on March 17, 1983, Christian Michail Cousins and Joseph were raised in Orange County, California. Following their introduction on Knots Landing, the brothers shared roles in various other productions. These included episodes of Father Dowling Mysteries, Eerie, Indiana, and Intruders. They also appeared together in the 1991 film Critters 3.

The twins continued to work in television and film throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. In a 1988 episode of Highway to Heaven, they played twins named Hope and Faith. In the 1995 film Twin Sitters, they portrayed brothers named Bradley and Steven. Christian also made cameo appearances as himself on episodes of Empty Nest, Wings, and Dream On.

Joseph Cousins continued the role of Bobby Ewing independently after their shared tenure. He appeared in approximately 30 additional episodes of Knots Landing through the show's fourteenth season, which ended in May 1993. He also returned for the 1997 reunion movie, Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac.

After stepping away from acting, Christian pursued a career in business. He worked as an executive in the furniture industry and later co-owned a CBD company. His death marks the end of a career that began in early childhood and left a lasting mark on 1980s and 1990s television and film audiences.