A 'disappearance' and a con man: Where is the cast of Step By Step now?

Step by step, day by day, a fresh start over, a different hand to play, the deeper we fall, the stronger we stay, and we'll be better, the second time around.

If you know the words to this song, then it's pretty much guaranteed that you've watched family sitcom Step by Step. The popular family sitcom ran from 1991 to 1998 for seven seasons, and told the story of a blended family led by Carol Foster and Frank Lambert, who had three kids of their own (so six in total).

Watch the Step by Step opening credits below and relive your youth. Post continues. 

It's been 25 years since the show ended, and here's where they are now.

Suzanne Somers (Carol Foster-Lambert).

Suzanne Somers.

Beginning her acting career in the late 1960s, Suzanne Somers is arguably the most well-known out of the ensemble cast of Step by Step.

One of her most famous roles is in sitcom Three's Company, which ran from 1976 until 1984. Co-starring Joyce DeWitt and the late John Ritter, Somers shone in the comedy series - so much so that her character began to feature in most of the storylines as her popularity soared. Yet in the latter half of the show, her character appeared less and less, and she did not appear at all in the final three seasons.

In 2020, Somers told People magazine that she was fired from Three's Company after asking for equal pay. "The show’s response was, 'Who do you think you are?' They said, 'John Ritter is the star'," she told the publication.

Afterwards, she contends she was "blacklisted" by Hollywood, appearing sporadically in TV shows. Then Step by Step came along and catapulted her back into the spotlight. While Somers' last credited role (The Darklings) is in 1999, the 76-year-old is still active in the industry. In 2005, she starred in a one-woman Broadway show, The Blonde in the Thunderbird, a role she played in 1973's American Graffiti.

Somers has gone through some health issues; she was misdiagnosed with cancer in 2001 and only found out the truth in 2008, and in 2021 she broke her neck after falling down a flight of stairs. She has also made some controversial statements in the past few years regarding health and wellness.

Patrick Duffy (Frank Lambert).

Patrick Duffy. 

Like Somers, Patrick Duffy has been in the acting industry for a long time. Aside from playing the dad on Step by Step, Duffy is best known for his role as Bobby Ewing on soap drama Dallas, which ran from 1978 until 1991. He reprised his role in the TV movies and the Dallas reboot in 2012.

He is also known for playing Stephen Logan from The Bold and the Beautiful from 2006 until 2011, and reprised his role last year for two special episodes.

Off-screen, the 73-year-old has been touched by tragedy. In 1986, his parents, who owned a tavern, were murdered by two men. "My father kicked these two young men out of the bar at some point in the evening," he said. "So they went and drank elsewhere, and came back to the bar to kick his a**. When they stepped in the bar with their guns, they shot him. There was nobody else in the bar, so they shot both my mother and my father."

Both men were charged and sent to prison for several years, and have now been released on parole. Duffy has stated he is "OK with that" because they have been punished.

In 2017, his wife of 43 years, Carlyn Rosser, passed away. "I can hear her. I can see her. I know what she would expect of me, and I try and live up to that," Duffy told Closer Weekly last year. "I feel close to her all the time... what I miss most is her touch. I still consider myself a married man."

Staci Keanan (Dana Foster).

Staci Keanan.

Staci Keanan, whose given name is Anastasia Sagorsky, first worked as a child model in print ads and later appeared in television commercials. 

In 1987, she was cast to play the daughter in popular sitcom My Two Dads, co-starring Greg Evigan and Paul Reiser. The show ended in 1990, and the next year she was cast as smart and sarcastic Dana on Step by Step.

After the series ended in 1998, Keanan stepped (pun intended) away from acting and concentrated on her studies, graduating cum laude with a degree in Art History and a minor in French. She was admitted to the Bar in 2013, and currently practices law in LA under her given name.

The 47-year-old married actor/producer Guy Birtwhistle in 2017.

Angela Watson (Karen Foster).

Angela Watson.

Playing Karen on Step by Step was Angela Watson's first and last big acting gig. After the show ended, there was discussion about Watson having her own sitcom, based on the character of ditzy, heart-of-gold Karen. Unfortunately, it did not end up happening.

She began dating and working with a production manager to learn how to transition from kids' shows to adult fare - but the man was a narcissist and con man who isolated her from her loved ones and brainwashed her into believing her family was stealing all the money she had earned on Step by Step. In reality, he was the one stealing her money. He even convinced her to sue her parents for millions of dollars.

For 20 years, Watson stayed with her abuser and was estranged from her family. It was only when she was able to view YouTube videos about how she was being conned and indoctrinated that she realised what was really happening and she left him.

The 47-year-old has now reunited with her family and friends, released some music, and has since gotten married.

Christopher Castile (Mark Foster).

Christopher Castile.

Like Watson, Christopher Castile's acting career ended after Step by Step. His other notable role is as Ted Newton is Beethoven and its sequel Beethoven 2.

He focused on his studies instead - just like his other on-screen sister, Keanan - and graduated with a master’s degree in teaching. The 42-year-old now teaches political sciences and history.

Brandon Call (JT Lambert).

Brandon Call.

Brandon Call's first big break was at age nine on soapie Santa Barbara in 1985. Then he played one of the Charming children in The Charmings, followed by his role on Baywatch as David Hasselhoff’s son. After season one, he was deemed too old for the role and was thus replaced by Jeremy Jackson.

In 1996, after shooting an episode of Step by Step, Call was shot multiple times after getting into a traffic dispute. Luckily, he went on to make a full recovery. 

There are rumours that Call was meant to play the main character of Kevin Arnold in the very popular The Wonder Years but was replaced by Fred Savage.

Like many of his Step by Step cast mates, Call retired after the show ended in 1998. There are unconfirmed reports that he now operates a gas station.

Christine Lakin (Al Lambert).

Christine Lakin.

Christine Lakin has done really well for herself in Hollywood. She has turned her eye to directing, working on productions like The Goldbergs and High School Musical: The Musical - The Series.

At the same time, she has continued her acting (and voice acting) career with various TV shows and animations under her belt.

In 2014, Lakin married actor Brandon Breault and the couple had their first child two years later. Their second child was born in 2018.

Josh Byrne (Brendan Lambert).

Josh Byrne.

Josh Byrne's acting career was short and sweet. He started with a guest spot on sitcom Who's The Boss? in 1990, with Step by Step being his most major role. 

Byrne's character Brendan actually didn't have many storylines on the show, which may be the reason he left in the penultimate season in 1997. Strangely, the show never explained his character's absence - it was as though he never existed.

As for what happened to Byrne? There is very, very little information out there on him. But according to Closer Weekly, he now works at a Renaissance Fair.

Sasha Mitchell (Cody Lambert).

Sasha Mitchell.

Prior to working with his on-screen uncle Patrick Duffy on Step by Step, Sasha Mitchell worked with him on hit drama Dallas. Coincidentally, Duffy played his on-screen uncle then too.

Mitchell quickly became one of the most popular characters on Step by Step, with fans loving his romantic relationship with Keanan's character, Dana. However, in season five of the show, Mitchell was convicted of domestic violence against his (now ex) wife Jeanette Robbins and was subsequently fired from the sitcom. He was rehired in the last season and was there for the ending.

Mitchell went on to star in a number of movies and TV shows after the show ended in 1998. His last acting credit on IMDB is from 2019.

The 55-year-old father of four is very active on Instagram, with many of his posts focused on bodybuilding and family.

Feature image: Warner Bros.