Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Step By Step?
"Step by Step" was a popular '90s sitcom that aired on ABC's TGIF Friday night lineup between 1991 and 1998 (per IMDb). The show begins when Frank, a construction worker and single father of three, and Carol, a beautician and single mother of three, bump into each other on a trip and spontaneously decide to wed (not knowing that a couple of their kids had already met and dislike each other). The show focuses on the comedic daily drama of a blended family trying to make living together work in the 1990s.
The show has been compared to "The Brady Bunch," although the series' star, Suzanne Somers, who played Carol, has said the main difference is that, unlike "The Brady Bunch," "Step by Step" was "sexy" and more modern, as Somers told Yahoo!.
The show went on for seven seasons, and, with any show that aired 20+ years ago, we often find ourselves wondering "what happened to that person?" Luckily, we're here to tell you just what happened to the cast of "Step by Step."
Suzanne Somers keeps herself busy and fit after Step by Step
Suzanne Somers played Carol Foster-Lambert, the main star and wife/mom, on the '90s sitcom "Step by Step" (via IMDb). Somers' role as Carol may have been a personal step up (pun intended) from her former popular TV role as "dumb blonde" Krissy Snow on "Three's Company," which ended for her in 1981 when, in her own words, she was "fired for asking to be paid commensurate with the men" (per InStyle). But, being fired didn't stop her, and she continued to pursue work on screen, mostly gaining roles in TV mini series, such as "Hollywood Wives," and in TV movies like "Rich Men, Single Women" and "Keeping Secrets." Since "Step by Step" wrapped in 1998, Somers has worked a ton, though she's mostly been focused on her career as a health spokesperson, writer, and businesswoman.
While Somers is best known for her roles on "Three's Company" and "Step by Step," she's also made a name for herself in the fitness industry for her revolutionary "Thigh Master" and has become a bestselling author. Today, Somers spends her time writing books (she's written 28 books over the years) and managing her own lines of skincare, fitness, and natural products (via suzannesomers.com). While Somers has always been known for taking care of herself, she's made it clear it's working for her in 2021 when she shared a photo to Instagram of her flawlessly wearing matching short shorts with her granddaughter (per Today).
Patrick Duffy continues to act and found love again years after Step by Step
Patrick Duffy is probably best known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the show "Dallas" before ever even portraying the father role as Frank Lambert on "Step by Step" for the full seven seasons (via IMDb). Since the show ended, Duffy has done what he's always done — acting on various TV shows and TV movies, including playing Stephen Logan on "The Bold and the Beautiful" from 2006 to 2011, returning to his most famous role of Bobby Ewing on "Dallas" from 2012 to 2014, and portraying James Connolly on "Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door" in 2006 (per IMDb). Most recently, as of this writing, Duffy played "Pops" in the 2021 film "The Christmas Promise" (per IMDb).
In 2020, Duffy interestingly found love again on the set of "Doomsday Mom" with his co-star Linda Purl. Duffy told Closer Weekly that they fell in love quickly during the pandemic, having to be quarantined together to film the movie in which they play a married couple, Larry and Kay Woodcock.
Staci Keanan, who played sarcastic and brainy Dana, is a lawyer in LA
Staci Keanan played Carol's eldest daughter, Dana Foster, on "Step by Step" for all seven seasons. Per IMDb, Keanan continued acting after "Step by Step" for a number of years until she quit to pursue law school. She graduated from Southwestern Law School in 2013, where she also works as an adjunct professor under her given name Anastasia Sagorsky. Although Keanan has primarily focused on law since 2010, she did return to acting in 2012 to appear on the show "Lovin' Lakin" (via IMDb) to star alongside her former on-screen stepsister, Christine Lakin, who played Al on "Step by Step," and her former on-screen stepfather, Frank, played by Patrick Duffy.
Today, Keanan is a lawyer in Los Angeles, where she serves as a deputy district attorney and law professor (per Yahoo!). Suzanne Somers, her former on-screen mom, told Yahoo! in 2021 that she was "so proud of her." "She was always very academic and anything that she attempted, she succeeded," Somers said of Keanan, explaining how, as a result, she's not surprised that "[Keanan has] gone on to have a successful law career."
Brandon Call, who played Frank's eldest son J.T., has seemingly left acting behind
Brandon Call played Frank's eldest son, John Thomas Lambert, better known as "J.T.," on "Step by Step" for the full seven seasons of the show (via IMDb). Despite the start of a successful career as a child actor in the '80s and '90s, with roles on popular shows that included "Webster," "Baywatch," and the soap opera "Santa Barbara," Call apparently said goodbye to showbiz after "Step by Step" wrapped in 1998 (per IMDb), as he has no other acting credits since.
It's difficult to say what exactly Call decided to do after leaving acting behind, as he seems to have successfully hid from the limelight. However, in 2017, it was rumored that Call was spotted working at his parents' car wash and gas station in San Diego, California, where he was also rumored to be sporting a shaved head (per the Gazette Review).
Angela Watson, who played fashion lover Karen, fought for her rights and her freedom
Angela Watson played Carol's middle child, Karen Foster, the fashion-and-beauty-obsessed teenager, on "Step by Step" for all seven seasons. Apart from the 2005 straight-to-video movie "Final Approach" and the 2007 comedy short "Cowboys and Indians," Watson has no other screen credits (per IMDb), though she did co-host a fashion show in Fort Myers, Florida, in 2021 (via ABC7). This gap is largely because she claimed her parents squandered her earnings, leading her to file and win several lawsuits against her parents. This also led her to fight to change the laws to "protect minors in the entertainment industry." In 2001, she founded CAST (Child Actors Supporting Themselves), an organization which provides legal aid to child actors who are victims of their own parents' financial mishandling and/or stealing.
In Watson's case, it doesn't seem that her parents stole from her after all. In 2020, Watson confessed to former co-star Christine Lakin on Lakin's podcast that she was in an abusive relationship with a man who brainwashed her and "drove her apart from everyone she loved" for a good "20 years of her life," per The U.S. Sun. Fortunately, Watson is now free of the relationship and is rebuilding her past.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Christine Lakin, who played Frank's only daughter Al, went on to direct, write, and produce
Christine Lakin played Frank's daughter, Alicia "Al" Lambert (the only Lambert girl), on "Step by Step" for all seven seasons. Lakin continued to work in television after the series ended in 1998. In fact, per IMDb, Lakin went on to not only continue acting, but also work as a producer, director, and writer on her own show, "Lovin' Lakin," in 2012.
In 2017, Lakin starred in (as herself) and produced the show "Hollywood Darlings" alongside her longtime friends Jodie Sweetin of "Full House" and Beverley Mitchell of "7th Heaven," which she spoke about in an interview with Today. According to Lakin, the "best part" of the experience was "working with two of my best friends." "Hollywood Darlings" only ran for two seasons, ending in 2018, leading Lakin to work on several other projects, including hosting the show "Hear Me, Love Me, See Me" in 2018. As of this writing, she's working as a director on TV shows such as "The Goldbergs" and "Puppy Place" (per IMDb).
Christopher Castile, who portrayed brainy Mark, is super smart in real life, too
Christopher Castile played Carol's only son, the nerdy Mark Foster, on "Step by Step" for the entirety of the show (per IMDb) and appeared in the popular '90s kids' movies "Beethoven" and "Beethoven's Second" (via the Gazette Review). After the show ended, Castile, then 18, quit acting to focus on his education, eventually earning a master's degree in history. As of 2018, Castile works as a professor of political science at Biola University in La Mirada, California, while also teaching high school U.S. history, per the Gazette Review.
According to Popular Networth, Castile married his wife, Alison, sometime after 2002, and the couple went on to have two children together. Considering Castile's dedication to his retirement from showbiz, it seems clear that he wants to keep his family life private and that he's content living a quiet and normal life in California. And, considering the fact he lives off of the cushy estimated $1 million dollar net worth he saved from his acting career (per Popular Networth), we can say he's earned it.
Josh Byrne, who played youngest son Brendan, has left acting behind since the show
Josh Byrne played Brendan Lambert (Frank's youngest son) on every season of "Step by Step" until 1997 (via IMDb), when he seemingly disappeared from the show completely after Frank and Carol welcomed their one and only biological child together, Lilly Foster-Lambert. Prior to starring on the show, he also appeared on the long-running TV sitcom "Who's the Boss?" and the short-lived TV comedy "The Family Man."
Excluding a 2013 incident in which Byrne posted a picture of himself at a Renaissance Faire on Myspace (via TheFW), there is no new information about what he's up to today or why Byrne went missing from the final season of "Step by Step." The only thing we do know? It doesn't seem to be acting, even if he does still like to dress up in costume for the Renaissance Faire.
Sasha Mitchell, the series' 'dude happy' cousin Cody, continues to act
Sasha Mitchell played Frank's nephew, Cody Lambert, on and off throughout "Step by Step," apart from episodes in 1997 (per IMDb). Although Mitchell was in jail on and off in 1996 for failing to meet the terms of his 1995 sentencing in which he was charged with allegedly "hitting his wife" (per E! News), it doesn't seem to have affected his career much. He was even reportedly allowed to leave his jail cell during the day so he could film "Step by Step" (per E!).
Since the show ended, Mitchell continued to act and is still active in the film industry today. Apart from "Step by Step," per IMDb, Mitchell is probably best known for his role in the "Kickboxer" movies. As of publication, he was last seen in the 2019 film "Drunk Parents" and appears to have a couple of upcoming projects, including the films "Anadellia Rises," "The Kickboxer: Algiers," and "Cyborg Nemesis: The Dark Rift," per IMDb.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Jason Marsden, who played J.T.'s friend and Dana's boyfriend, has an extensive resume in film
Having already played Eric Matthews' best friend Jason on "Boy Meets World" and one of D.J. Tanner's love interests, Nelson, on "Full House" (both from 1994 to 1995), Jason Marsden wasn't unfamiliar with playing the funny (and often sarcastic) secondary character on '90s sitcoms when he became an important character on "Step by Step" (per IMDb). Marsden initially appeared on "Step by Step" as the character Doug in 1993 for only one episode. He later returned to the show in 1995 as Rich Halke — J.T.'s best friend who later becomes Dana's boyfriend (per IMDb).
Today, Marsden is still working in the film industry, quite extensively we might add, from the many credits listed on his IMDb page. Marsden is still an actor and voice actor, who, as of 2004, has also worked on and off as a writer and producer on multiple shows. He's even tried his hand at directing in 2014 (via IMDb). As of this writing, he most recently voiced Corki on the 2021 short "Tales of Reneterra: Don't Mess with Yordles."
Lauren and Kit (Kristina) Meyering, who played baby Lilly, still work together
Lauren Meyering and Kit (Kristina) Meyering played baby Lilly Foster-Lambert (Carol and Frank's only biological child together) on "Step by Step," appearing in seven episodes between 1995 and 1996 (per IMDb). The twins continued to act after the series ended and, these days, as of this writing, work together in the film industry. In 2019, Lauren directed and edited the mini-series "Max and Mandy," while Kit played the character "Blake" in one episode (per IMDb). That same year, Lauren directed the video short "Super Whatevr: better," in which Kit served as a producer on the project (per IMDb).
Since their "Step by Step" days, Lauren is best known for her writing, directing, and producing work (per IMDb) and, as of this writing, has a short she directed and produced, "A Sticky Situation," now in post-production. Kit, on the other hand, is known more for her acting work now, after returning to acting in 2014, portraying Andie in "Foolish Smarts and How To Lose Them" in 2017. She's also done some behind-the-scenes work, as she was credited as a set decorator in a 2015 short called "Average and Uninteresting" and appeared on screen and behind the camera as a boom operator in the yet-to-be-released short "In The Moment."