Sad news to report today, as it’s been announced that Christian Cousins, who played Dominic Palmieri in Kindergarten Cop alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, has died at the age of 43. He was discovered dead at his home on October 20 after his family requested a welfare check after struggling to reach him.
Jonas Roeser, who says he shares a father with Christian (and Christian’s twin brother Joey), shared a tribute to the actor on Instagram last month.
“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,” he said. “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. But those roles are only a small part of how I’ll remember Christian.“
He continued, “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.“
Kindergarten Cop and More
Christian, along with his twin brother Joey, appeared in episodes of TV shows like Highway to Heaven, Father Dowling Mysteries, Eerie, Indiana, Intruders, Empty Nest, Wings, and more. He also played Bobby Gibson Ewing in Knots Landing. His feature film credits also include Critters 3 and Twin Sitters, but he was best known for Kindergarten Cop.
His character was the son of Joyce Palmieri (Penelope Ann Miller), who is in hiding from her drug lord ex-husband. Christian, along with his co-stars, reunited for the film’s 30th anniversary in 2020, where they were surprised to be joined by Schwarzenegger.
“After 30 years, I want to thank you again for saving my life from Richard Tyson in the locker room,” he told Schwarzenegger. “And I’m glad you ended up with my mom for that movie. That was awesome. It was a pleasure playing Dominic with you.“
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Christian’s family, friends, and loved ones. 43 is far too young.
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