Josh Byrne: What Really Happened to Brendan Lambert on *Step By Step*

Josh Byrne. The name probably doesn't ring a bell for most people under 35, but for anyone who grew up watching the ABC/CBS sitcom Step By Step in the 90s, he’s an instant flash of nostalgia, tied forever to the character of Brendan Lambert. Brendan was the youngest of Frank Lambert's three kids, kinda sweet, kinda quiet, and honestly, sorta just there for a good chunk of the show’s run.

Then, he just vanished. Poof.

In one of the most infamously unexplained child-actor disappearances in sitcom history—right up there with Chuck Cunningham, though even he got a mention or two—Josh Byrne left the show before its final season. The show moved from ABC to CBS for Season 7, and in the blended family's final hurrah, the youngest Lambert son was simply... gone. No funeral, no "went to college early," no "moved in with a mysterious aunt." Just silence. It left a generation of viewers scratching their heads and, eventually, feeding a cottage industry of '90s TV mysteries online.

The Quiet Years of Brendan Lambert

Josh Byrne joined the cast of Step By Step in 1991 when he was just six years old. It wasn't his first acting gig, mind you; he'd already popped up in episodes of Who's the Boss? and The Family Man. He even played the six-year-old version of Billy Crystal’s character in the 1992 film Mr. Saturday Night, sharing the part with future Step By Step co-star Jason Marsden (Rich Halke). It was a decent start for a child actor.

But Brendan Lambert was always the kid in the background. Think about the show's core dynamics: J.T. and Dana's constant warring, Al's transition to a teen, Mark's nerdiness, and of course, Cody's lovable-doofus shenanigans. Even the youngest Foster-Lambert daughter, Karen, got more memorable storylines. When Frank and Carol had a new baby, Lily, in the middle of the show’s run, the narrative focus shifted pretty dramatically. The addition of an actual infant—followed by Emily Mae Young taking over the role in later seasons—further crowded the already sprawling cast.

It's a phenomenon that sometimes happens on massive ensemble shows: a character who was conceptually important in the beginning gradually loses their purpose as other characters grow or new ones are added. Brendan, as the youngest boy, became structurally redundant once Lily was introduced. His storylines, which were never robust to begin with, dried up completely. This structural choice, or lack thereof, by the show's creators is the key to understanding Byrne’s exit.

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The Real Reason Josh Byrne Left

The simple truth is that the character of Brendan was essentially written out because he was no longer necessary to the plots. While fans love to speculate about behind-the-scenes drama, the decision appears to have been a pragmatic, if brutal, creative choice.

Former co-star Christine Lakin, who played Al Lambert, confirmed this on her podcast, Keanan and Lakin Give You Déjà Vu. She explained that the decision was driven by the writers feeling that Brendan’s small role wasn't justified anymore, especially with the costs associated with a large cast. It’s an incredibly cold-hearted way to treat a young actor, and the fact that they never bothered to offer a fictional explanation for his disappearance is, quite frankly, weird.

He left the series in 1997, just before it moved to CBS for its final season. Byrne himself, in a 2025 interview on Lakin’s podcast, stated that he didn't return for that final season to focus on his education. But here's the kicker: he was briefly interested in staying in the industry, specifically mentioning a desire to explore "behind-the-camera kind of stuff," partly inspired by Patrick Duffy (Frank Lambert) directing many episodes. However, that interest didn't stick through high school, and he ultimately chose to walk away from Hollywood entirely.

Beyond the Blended Family: What Josh Byrne Does Now

After the sitcom wrapped up, Byrne genuinely fell off the map—if you were looking for him on a film set, you were looking in the wrong place. Unlike many of his co-stars who continued acting or transitioned into voice work, Byrne went full non-Hollywood.

He didn't just fade away; he actively redirected his life toward a passion that had been simmering since his childhood on the set: history and 'nerd' culture.

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Believe it or not, an important influence in this transition was Sasha Mitchell, the actor who played Cody. While Mitchell was the dopey cousin on screen, he was heavily into comic books and martial arts in real life. Byrne recalled that the boys' room on the set was always full of "nerd stuff," and that culture stuck with him.

This led him down a path that is, honestly, kinda charming and totally unexpected for a former TGIF star: Renaissance Fairs.

• From Sitcom Kid to Performer: Sasha Mitchell’s interest in martial arts eventually tied Byrne into various sword fighting groups, which in turn introduced him to the Renaissance Fair circuit. He became one of the performers, an active participant in the fighting and the general silliness that makes those events so much fun.
• A Unique Form of Acting: Byrne has described performing at Ren Fairs as a lot like acting, but with an added educational layer. He was part of a guild that would build a fake tavern and teach patrons about the history of such establishments during the Renaissance period. It was a combination of escapism, performing, and history—a perfect blend for his adult interests.
• Professional Nerdom: Today, Byrne works for a company called Sideshow Collectibles, a major manufacturer of high-end action figures, statues, and general geek-culture memorabilia. This is basically the opposite of the high-stakes, image-obsessed world of network TV. He gets to nurture his love for comic books and pop culture as part of his actual job, which is a pretty cool twist to the standard "Where Are They Now?" narrative.

It's clear that the path Josh Byrne chose wasn't a retreat; it was an embrace of genuine personal interest. He found a new kind of creative expression that allowed him to use his performance skills in a low-pressure, passion-driven environment, while also leaning heavily into his love of history.

The Lessons of the Unexplained Exit

The story of Brendan Lambert's phantom disappearance and Josh Byrne's subsequent life offers a few interesting takeaways about the nature of fame, childhood work, and finding personal satisfaction.

The most powerful lesson here is that leaving Hollywood isn't always a sign of struggle or failure; sometimes, it’s a deliberate choice for authenticity. Byrne walked away from a career that, while lucrative and highly visible, never quite clicked for his character, and he did it to pursue things he truly loved—history, combat performance, and comic book culture. Many people struggle their whole lives to turn their passion into their profession, and he managed to do it after leaving the spotlight.

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The show's decision to drop the character without explanation remains a minor, frustrating piece of TV trivia. Had they simply said Brendan was staying with a relative, or was at a special summer camp, it would have been less jarring. Instead, the abrupt, unaddressed absence highlighted a kind of careless cruelty inherent in the way television sometimes treats its younger actors, especially those whose characters aren't central to the story.

Byrne’s experience is a quiet, successful counter-narrative to the common cautionary tales of child stardom. He spent his formative years on a top-rated sitcom, then simply returned to a normal life, cultivated genuine interests, and found a meaningful career connected to his passions. He traded the high-glamour, high-pressure set of a major network sitcom for the muddy grounds and joyful performance of a Renaissance Fair. That’s a trade-off that, for him, seems to have paid off in spades.

If you’re watching a Step By Step re-run and notice Brendan Lambert just fade away in Season 6, remember that the actor who played him is probably way happier now, likely surrounded by cool action figures and preparing for his next sword fight. He didn’t disappear; he just decided to act on a different stage.

Now, if you want to understand the modern-day life of Josh Byrne, you should probably stop looking for him on IMDB and start looking for an official Sideshow Collectibles unboxing video or maybe even planning a trip to your nearest Renaissance Faire. His former co-stars—Christine Lakin and Staci Keanan—have made it easy for fans to connect with him through their podcast, giving a new, positive platform to a story that was, for decades, merely a bizarre footnote in TGIF history. Checking out those interviews is the single best way to get a full picture of the man behind the absent character.