The Cast of Step by Step: Where Are They Now?

Patrick Duffy as Frank Lambert

Patrick Duffy was quite the household name when he joined Step by Step as contractor dad Frank, thanks mostly to his work as Bobby Ewing on the beloved serial Dallas.

"I was ready for a comedy," he told Entertainment Tonight in 2022 of taking a lighter role post-Dallas. "We found our footing and it was ... the best job I ever had."

He's been busy in the years since, reprising his role in the early 2010s Dallas reboot and starring as Stephen Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful on and off since 2006.

Now 75, Duffy wed ballerina Carlyn Rosser in 1974; together, they have two children. Rosser died in 2017. In 2020, he began dating Happy Days actress Linda Purl.

Suzanne Somers as Carol Foster Lambert

Suzanne Somers was another small-screen favorite prior to Step by Step, having previously starred on Three's Company and She's the Sheriff.

As a mother of a blended family herself, she told PEOPLE when the series premiered, "I've lived this life. I married Alan Hamel and he had two children, and I had one child from another marriage. My son didn't like his kids, and his kids didn't like me. Guilt is a major factor in combined marriages because you see your kids not happy, and you try to accommodate them, but that's dangerous for the marriage. It wasn't until Alan and I became a united front and said to the kids, 'You're not going to break us up, so learn to live with this situation,' that things improved."

As time went on, Somers became as known for her acting as for her health journey, which included dishing cooking advice, writing health books, launching an organic skincare line and serving as spokeswoman for the exercise tool the Thighmaster. She also went on to some TV hosting work and a run on season 20 of Dancing with the Stars.

On Oct. 15, 2023 — one day before her 77th birthday — Somers died, having "survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” her publicist shared. She is survived by her husband and their children.

Brandon Call as J.T. Lambert

Brandon Call got his start as a child actor, earning roles in Slickers and Jagged Edge before landing regular parts on popular series including Santa Barbara, The Charmings and Baywatch.

The part of slick, sporty eldest son J.T. onStep by Step was Call's last major role. The actor survived a drive-by shooting in 1996, a moment his on-screen sister Christine Lakin said could "change you as a person. I feel like he just really had no interest in being in the spotlight anymore." He's now 47 years old and joined his castmates for an epic reunion at 90s Con in March 2024, where he said he's "ventured off into some investments and businesses" in recent years.

Christine Lakin as Al Lambert

As J.T.'s tough sister Al, Christine Lakin brought the sass, especially when talking to her step siblings. Step by Step was her first big gig, and opened the doors to an endless stream of TV and movie parts, including voice work on Family Guy and two takes on growing up in the entertainment industry: Lovin' Lakin and Hollywood Darlings. More recently, she's been directing episodes of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and The Goldbergs. She recently started a rewatch podcast with her on-screen sister Staci Keanan, Keanan and Lakin Give You Deja Vu.

Lakin, 45, and husband Brandon Breault share two children, Baylor and Georgia.

Josh Byrne as Brendan Lambert

After stints on Who's the Boss? and The Family Man, Josh Byrne joined Step by Step as the sweet youngest child on the Lambert side, Brendan. However, he left the show with a season to go, walking away from acting completely at the same time.

Byrne, now 40, was one of the few former Foster-Lamberts not present for the March 2024 90s Con panel.

Staci Keanan as Dana Foster

Eldest Foster sibling Dana, played by Staci Keanan, managed to show both love for her mom and disdain for her new family members. She'd just come off long runs on My Two Dads and Going Places before Step by Step, moving on to a handful of movie and TV roles, including costar Christine Lakin's Lovin' Lakin and Hollywood Darlings, in the years after.

Keanan mostly retreated from the industry in the 2000s, graduating from UCLA in 2002 and earning her law degree from Southwestern Law School in 2013. According to a bio from the school under her given name, she was recently a Deputy District Attorney at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and is now a law professor herself.

The 48-year-old also has a Step by Step podcast with Lakin, in which she is watching the series for the very first time.

Angela Watson as Karen Foster

A former model and pageant queen, Angela Watson had a handful of commercials and small parts under her belt when she joined Step by Step as Carol's middle child, the vain but lovable Karen.

According to a chat on Christine Lakin's podcast in 2020, via The Sun, in the years that followed, she was allegedly manipulated by someone she called a production partner whom she said "brainwashed" her and isolated her from loved ones. After removing herself from the situation, she began work on CAST (Child Actors Supporting Themselves) "to coordinate accountants, investigators and attorneys for child performers needing help," per a website for the organization.

In 2020 Watson, now 48, returned to acting in Florida in a production of The Living Room, and that same year married actor Brian Nahas. The couple is expecting their first baby together this July.

Christopher Castile as Mark Foster

Like many of his costars, Christopher Castile was just getting started in Hollywood when he was cast as Carol's brainy youngest child, Mark. While the show was running, he featured in the Beethoven movie series and episodes of Hey Arnold! and Are You Afraid of the Dark?.

Like Keanan, he left acting for education, and the 43-year-old most recently taught at both Downey High School and Biola University in the Los Angeles area.

Sasha Mitchell as Cody Lambert

Sasha Mitchell actually starred alongside Patrick Duffy on Dallas prior to joining Step by Step as the family's chill cousin Cody. In a 2021 interview, he called the experience "a blast."

In April of 1995, Mitchell was charged with two counts of battery, one count of spousal abuse and one count of child endangerment for hitting his wife. According to the Los Angeles Times, he was given three years' probation, but ordered "to perform community service and attend counseling classes for spouse abusers."

He spent 30 days in jail in January 1996 after failing to comply, but was allowed to leave during the days to go to work. In May 1996 he was ordered to jail once again, this time for 60 days for violating probation, and for a time was written off Step by Step (he returned for the final episodes). Mitchell was ordered to serve an additional 180 days that December for violating the terms of his probation, per the Los Angeles Times, though he testified in court that his estranged wife was allegedly the one abusing the couple's four children, which she denied.

A trained kickboxer, Mitchell, now 56, has made the rounds at various martial arts events in recent years and joined his former castmates for 90s Con in March 2024., where he talked about his post-TV careers in welding and computer engineering. "I changed paths but it keeps my hands busy, my heart happy, go to dinner everyday, and I feel really good," he shared.

Jason Marsden as Rich Halke

Jason Marsden was a staple on '90s shows, appearing on everything from Full House and Boy Meets World to Almost Home and, of course, Step by Step. His character Rich Halke was J.T.'s best friend and ultimately a surprise love interest for Dana.

Now 49, he has made a career out of voice work, with endless credits on various series and video games. As he said at 90s Con, "I'm still hustling."