While most people wrote of Step by Step‘s Karen Foster as beauty without the brains, Angela Watson proved audiences wrong over and over again. Remember the episode where Dana revealed that Karen was probably one of the smartest and most beautiful girls at school? For the first time, the two bonded over their differences and similarities. Looking back now, Step by Step taught so many important lessons to young people growing up. But where did Watson disappear to after the show ended?
Angela Watson didn’t grow up in Hollywood or the big city like the character she played. Instead, she came from a tiny Illinois town with about 500 people. That’s a sharp contrast to the character she played on Step by Step – someone who thrived in being fashion forward, confident and maybe even street smart. But for Watson, it was just a character she played for seven seasons starting in 1991.
Her real love is probably music. She began tap dancing at 3 years old, winning more than 200 trophies in her youth. Then she got into modeling in New York and Dallas. Quickly after that she ended up in commercials for some of the biggest brands in the world, including McDonald’s, IBM and Doritos.
Step by Step came a little later. By that time, Watson had already appeared in a number of TV shows. But Step by Step seemed like the promise of a steady future in the industry. Except it wasn’t.
When the show ended in 1998, Watson discovered that all her earnings were gone. She alleges that her parents mishandled the money she worked so hard for. It’s what drove her to start CAST (Child Actors Supporting Themselves), a nonprofit aimed at helping young performers who find themselves in similar situations. “Our goal is to provide funds for child actors when they learn that their parents have stolen all of their money…” she told Backstage.
In 2020, during Christine Lakin’s Worst Ever Podcast, Watson admitted the legal battles weren’t entirely her own idea. And eventually she broke away to start rebuilding her own life.
Today, Watson is based in Florida and is much closer to her family. She’s also still involved in performance arts like modeling, stage work and even music. Her song “We Love Santa Claus” shows she still has so much talent.
She’s also very involved with the biggest role of her life: being a mom. At 48 years old, Watson and her husband Brian Nahas welcomed their son, James, who suffered from a serious heart defect after he was born. After some intensive care and rehabilitation, James is doing well. Her Instagram account is full of pictures of the happy young boy, along with scriptures and encouragements from her faith.
Watson’s life today doesn’t look like a sitcom. It’s very real. It’s a miracle.
