Step By Step: Where Is The Cast And Why Don't You Hear From Them?

The following article includes references to domestic abuse.

Created by TV sitcom powerhouses Thomas L. Miller and Robert Boyett along with producing partners Michael Warren and William Bickley, "Step by Step" centered around a blended family and featured the drama and laughs that come with adapting to new family structures. The newlywed parents were portrayed by TV icons Patrick Duffy and the late Suzanne Somers, and the series had all the trappings of a typical 1990s family-friendly sitcom — a little corny, but in a lovable way.

The series was a part of ABC's "TGIF" lineup, which also included Miller-Boyett sitcoms "Full House" and "Family Matters," shows that are arguably more cemented in pop culture than "Step by Step." The "TGIF" sitcoms sometimes featured crossover episodes, and fans may remember "Family Matters" icon Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) appearing on the second episode of "Step by Step" in a seamless effort to attract his fans to the fledgling sitcom. "Step by Step" soon proved to be a success of its own and ran for seven seasons from 1991 to 1998. Decades later, you may be wondering what ever happened to the cast of the series. Let's take a closer look at what the former sitcom stars have been up to since 1998 and why you may not hear about them anymore.

Patrick Duffy was a massive TV star in the 1980s, particularly because he portrayed Bobby Ewing in the classic primetime soap "Dallas." When he transitioned to the sitcom world via "Step by Step," there was some question about whether or not he could be a comedic actor. Suzanne Somers told ET that when she learned that Duffy would be her co-star, she had her doubts because she had only ever seen him on "Dallas." But those doubts were quickly squashed. "He's got this natural wit and the kind of physical comedic abilities of a John Ritter," she said.

After spending seven years playing the patriarch of the Foster-Lambert household, he returned to drama, mainly acting in Hallmark movies and the daytime soap "The Bold and the Beautiful." But Duffy has spent a good deal of his life after "Step by Step" on his $14 million ranch in Oregon, which he put on the market in 2022 (per People). And after the tragic death of his wife in 2017, Duffy has found love again with "Happy Days" actor Linda Purl. "I'm in an incredibly happy relationship. ... I never thought I'd feel this way again," he told People in a 2020 interview. The actor also has a family history in the bar business. Duffy, his son, and his daughter-in-law opened The Broadwater Plunge in Los Angeles in 2018.

The late Suzanne Somers became uber-famous in the 1970s playing Chrissy Snow on "Three's Company" and later reinvented herself as an infomercial queen, promoting the ThighMaster in the '90s. She returned to the TV sitcom world when she took on the role of Carol Foster Lambert on "Step by Step," a character she portrayed for all seven seasons. But "Step by Step" was Somers' last big on-screen acting gig, as the star later focused on other professional endeavors. She was also married to husband Alan Hamel for nearly five decades.

However, her multi-faceted career was put on pause when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. After having the tumor removed, Somers turned to alternative medicine and even wrote several books on the subject, though some of her views were considered controversial. Authorship essentially became her primary job. "Writing is my greatest passion because I can share the things that matter most to me with all of you," she stated on her website. Inspired by her own experiences and her enthusiasm for organic products, Somers also ran her own organic brand, including makeup, hair products, and supplements. 

In July 2023, Somers announced via Instagram that her breast cancer had returned. Just one day shy of her 77th birthday that October, Somers died while surrounded by her family at home. Her publicist, R. Couri Hay, stated in part to Page Six that, in lieu of her planned birthday party, Somers' loved ones would get together to "celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly."

Born Anastasia Sagorsky, the actor changed her name to Staci Love, then Staci Keanan when she started landing roles, per People. Keanan made a name for herself as a child actor on the show "My Two Dads" starring alongside Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. After the series enjoyed three seasons, Keanan landed the role of Dana Foster on "Step by Step." After that, she retired from the entertainment industry.

Keanan complete her undergraduate studies at UCLA and studied art history and then went on to attend law school, graduating in 2013, according to Southwestern Law School. Since then, she's built a prolific law career, practicing in Los Angeles under her birth name. She is currently a Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles District and an adjunct professor of law. According to Southwestern Law School's website, "she has prosecuted a broad range of matters, including domestic violence, sex crimes, gang crimes, and homicide, from the charge evaluation stage through jury trial."

It isn't entirely surprising that Keanan gave up the Hollywood life. Even as a kid, she was never fully immersed in the child star lifestyle. In a 1987 profile, she told People, "I put in an effort not to be Hollywood. I guess when kids or anybody else get conceited, they get an overbuilt self-image, so you have to think about it and not let it happen." Words of wisdom from a then 12-year-old.

You probably remember Angela Watson as Karen, the second-eldest model daughter of the Foster-Lambert bunch on "Step by Step." After the series ended, she lost touch with her castmates for two decades, and after suing her parents for taking her "Step by Step" earnings, she started a nonprofit organization called CAST (Child Actors Supporting Themselves). "Our goal is to provide funds for child actors when they learn that their parents have stolen all of their money, and they have no way to pay for lawyers or investigators or accountants to figure it out," she told Backstage.

However, when Watson appeared on former co-star Christine Lakin's "Worst Ever Podcast" in 2020, she explained that it hadn't really been her idea to sue her parents. She claimed that for 20 years she had been the victim of narcissistic abuse from a partner and he had convinced her that everyone in her life was against her. "I know there's a lot online that's untrue. And so I'm working to correct the record. ... There are truths. Yes, I did sue my parents. That's a truth, but I really was kind of brainwashed by a certain person and turned against my whole family and my whole cast and friends," she explained.

She broke free from the unhealthy relationship and now lives in Florida near her family. Watson focuses on smaller projects with local model agencies while also building a singing career.

Christopher Castile played one of the younger Foster siblings, Mark, the nerdiest of the bunch. "Most of the time I played that nerdy kid," Castile stated in an interview with The Downey Legend. In 1996 and '97, the child star voiced Eugene Horowitz on Nickelodeon's "Hey Arnold!" He ultimately decided to give up acting to live a quieter life. "I just wanted to be normal. I didn't have the time to do what any other normal teenager did at the time." He met his future wife while in high school, then went to college and entered the teaching field. Castile is part of the social studies faculty at Downey High School. He's also a professor at Biola University, teaching political science.

Castile seems to be a relatively private person online, but he appears to have set up a short-lived Twitter account in 2011, and one of his first tweets was to his former "Step by Step" co-stars. Tagging Jason Marsden, Christine Lakin, and Suzanne Somers, he wrote, "hi guys! It's Chris – I'm finally tweeting and glad to see you all already are!" Nice to see the Foster-Lambert family still thinking about each other; perhaps Castile and the cast will reunite one of these days.

Brandon Call was a busy child actor who lives a private life now. He earned two Young Artist Awards for his work on the soap opera "Santa Barbara" in the '80s and was a featured guest on "The All New Mickey Mouse Club" in the early '90s. You might have seen him on shows like "Magnum P.I.," "Baywatch," "The Charmings," and of course, "Step by Step," where he played Frank Lambert's son J.T. But the ABC/CBS series was his final acting gig, and he hasn't appeared on screen since 1998, per IMDb. In 1996, Call was the victim of an armed attack. He was chased down in his car by a driver who was shooting bullets at the vehicle, per AP News. The actor was wounded, though not severely. "I am feeling fine and my wounds will not require any surgery. I'm recuperating at home with my family," he said in a statement at the time.

In 2022, Call's co-star Christine Lakin appeared on "Pod Meets World," hosted by Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong. After mentioning that she and Brandon Call shared a school area on set, Lakin was asked about his 1996 attack. "He drove to a police station and basically just got out of the car and passed out on the steps. It was wild," Lakin remembered. She speculated, "I will say, I don't know for sure, but I really feel like that, in some ways, that will change you as a person, a traumatic event like that. And I feel like he just really had no interest in being in the spotlight anymore."

Of all the former Foster-Lambert kids in the "Step by Step" household, Christine Lakin has remained one of the most active in showbiz. Lakin played sassy tomboy Al Lambert, and her time on the show has had a lasting impact on her life. "[Suzanne Somers and Patrick Duffy] were an incredible part of my childhood. They were honestly two of the most genuine, very generous, and incredible people and I think it's why I'm so well-adjusted as a former child actor," she told Today.

Lakin continued acting after the series ended and started working on her own projects. In 2012, she wrote, directed, and starred in "Lovin' Lakin," a comedic miniseries mockumentary about a fictional version of herself trying to make a comeback in Hollywood. "I've met a lot of people over the years who definitely think, for lack of a better term, their s*** don't stink. It's funny to me to see people who think they're at a certain point in their career and can't be bothered by anyone around them. That's where I got this [idea]," she told Entertainment Weekly. Lakin joined forces with Jodie Sweetin and Beverley Mitchell in 2017 for their Pop TV comedy series, "Hollywood Darlings," an exaggeration of life as former child stars in L.A.

Now, Lakin is married with two children and primarily works as a director, including on ABC's "The Goldbergs" and Disney's "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." She's an experienced choreographer and a podcaster, having spent years co-hosting "Worst Ever Podcast" with Alaa Khaled; her next project is "Keanan and Lakin," a "Step by Step" rewatch show with Staci Keanan. 

Sasha Mitchell played Cody Lambert in "Step by Step." During his time on the show, he also appeared in the "Kickboxer" franchise. In real life he has a black belt in tae kwon do, according to ABC News. By the looks of his Instagram, he was heavily involved in martial arts as of 2019.

In 1995, Mitchell was arrested for domestic violence, which may account for his shying away from the limelight after "Step by Step" finished. He denied any allegations and pleaded not guilty. According to E! News, his sentence included three years of probation and counseling, but the actor did not abide by these terms. While he was permitted to go film "Step by Step," Mitchell had a stay of 30 days in jail and was later sentenced to 60 more for continued acts of violence and probation violation (according to the Los Angeles Times). 

By the looks of his IMDb page, he didn't fully give up acting and has appeared in small roles here and there, such as the 2016 indie movie "I Love You Both" and the 2019 movie "Drunk Parents" starring Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek.

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.

If you're a '90s pop culture buff, you not only know Jason Marsden as Rich Halke, J.T. Lambert's best friend from "Step by Step," but you likely also know him as the voice of everyone's favorite talking cat (sorry, Salem), Thackery Binx from "Hocus Pocus." Marsden has been a voice actor for decades and continues to predominantly do voice work. So while you may not have seen him in several years, it's likely that you've heard him.

Nowadays, he also has his own YouTube show called "Mars Presents." In an interview with M Live, he explained the series, saying, "It's inspired by classic variety shows of the '60s and '70s. It showcases independent musicians and comedians. I live in Nashville. I'm surrounded by amazing talent." He also stays active on the comic and fan convention circuit, appearing alongside his "Hocus Pocus" co-stars frequently. "I was doing convention appearances for a while... we get to do this all the time because everyone loves the 'Hocus Pocus.' People are watching it, showing it to their kids," he stated in the interview.

Bronson Pinchot rose to TGIF fame in the 1980s as Balki on the classic sitcom "Perfect Strangers." He was brought in late to the "Step by Step" family. Appearing in the final season, Pinchot played Carol's business partner, Jean-Luc, a "wacky beautician," according to South Coast Today. Though he's never really quit acting — he's appeared in a number of indie movies and played Principal George Hawthorn on Netflix's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" — he left Hollywood to focus on home improvement projects.

"I was in New York City and I was doing a Broadway show, and I was on a computer and I happened to see country houses with land around them that were the cost of half a New York City studio apartment. I just got it into my head that I had to have one, and then I got another one and another one," he explained in an interview with "Good Morning America" (via People). Purchasing homes led him to find a new passion: restoring and reselling. Ironically, Pinchot's newfound hobby brought him back to TV with a short-lived reality series on the DIY network called "The Bronson Pinchot Project," which is currently streaming on Discovery+. He has since appeared in a variety of shows, including "The Mysterious Benedict Society" and "NCIS: Hawai'i."