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We have tragic news to report out of Hollywood today.

Christian Cousins, the actor best known for his childhood roles in Kindergarten Cop and Knots Landing, has died. He was 43.

The former child star’s death was announced by his brother, Jonas Roeser, in an emotional Instagram tribute. According to Roeser, Cousins had been seriously ill with liver disease before passing away last month.

“It’s hard to share that my brother, Christian Cousins, has passed away,” Roeser wrote (via Page Six).

He explained that Christian and his identical twin brother, Joseph “Joey” Cousins, were his brothers through their biological father. The twins grew up in California, while Roeser was raised in Washington, meaning the siblings didn’t actually get to know one another until he was in college.

Interestingly, Roeser said he had already become familiar with his brothers long before they met.

“Before that, I grew up watching them on television in Knots Landing and the lead role of Dominic in Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger,” he recalled.

But Roeser made clear that Christian’s acting credits were only a small part of what made his brother special.

“He was a character, full of passion and energy, with big stories and even bigger dreams,” he continued.

Roeser also revealed that Christian had been battling a serious illness, writing, “Christian had been very sick with liver disease.”

The grieving brother ended his tribute by expressing hope that Christian had finally found peace.

“It brings me comfort to believe he is now in heaven with his mother, free from the pain he was carrying,” he wrote.

Christian was born in Orange County, California, in March 1983. He and Joey began their acting careers together, appearing in an episode of Highway to Heaven in 1988.

The brothers subsequently became familiar faces to television audiences through their work on Knots Landing, appearing in the popular CBS drama between 1987 and 1992. They shared the role of Bobby Gibson Ewing, taking turns portraying the character.

Their most recognizable big-screen appearance came in 1990, when they played Dominic in Kindergarten Cop, starring opposite Schwarzenegger.

The comedy, which followed an undercover police officer posing as a kindergarten teacher, remains one of Schwarzenegger’s memorable films. The Cousins brothers also appeared in projects including Critters 3 and Twin Sitters.

Christian’s final acting credit came in 1995, after which he stepped away from Hollywood.

Although his time in the entertainment industry was relatively brief, his performances remain part of the childhood memories of viewers who grew up watching those films and television shows.

Now, those memories are being revisited for a heartbreaking reason as Christian’s family mourns his loss.

Our condolences go out to Christian’s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.