Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, comedian and singer. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy, where she often critiqued celebrity culture and political figures.
Sandra Bernhard | |
|---|---|
Bernhard at the Daryl Roth Theater in New York City, 2006 | |
| Born | June 6, 1955[1] Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | Saguaro High School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | Nancy Bartlett Thomas in Roseanne and Judy Kubrak in Pose |
| Partner | Sara Switzer (2000–present) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | sandrabernhard |
She is perhaps best known for portraying Nancy Bartlett Thomas on the ABC sitcom Roseanne from the fourth season (1991) to the end of the show in 1997. She played Nurse Judy Kubrak in the FX drama series Pose. She is number 96 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time.
Early life Edit
Bernhard was born June 6, 1955,[1] in Flint, Michigan, the daughter of Jeanette (née LaZebnik) and proctologist Jerome Bernhard.[2] Her parents raised her as a Conservative Jew.[3]
In 1973 she traveled to Israel and stayed for 7 months at Kibbutz Kfar Menahem with her friend Daniel Chick. She later returned to Israel during the Yom Kippur War. [4]
She has three older brothers: Dan, David and Mark.[2] Her family moved to Arizona when she was 10.[5] She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, graduating in 1973.[6]
Career Edit
Bernhard became a staple at The Comedy Store.[7][8] As her popularity as a comedian grew, she was cast as a supporting player on The Richard Pryor Show in 1977.[9][10] Guest appearances on evening talk shows followed. Her big break came in 1983 when she was cast by Martin Scorsese to star as stalker/kidnapper Masha in the film The King of Comedy, for which she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress.[11][12] She was a frequent guest on David Letterman's NBC program Late Night with David Letterman, making 28 appearances starting in 1983.[13]
She began performing her first one-woman show, I'm Your Woman, in 1985, and an album version was released.[14] She appeared in a variety of small television roles throughout the 1980s while crafting her stand-up routine into a more performance art-oriented show.[citation needed] She launched an off-Broadway one-woman show called Without You, I'm Nothing, With You, I'm Not Much Better in 1988, which played at the Orpheum Theatre. In 1990, it was turned into a film and a double album of the same title.[15][16] The film was mostly shot on location in 1989 in the Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel.[citation needed]
It was during the run of Without You, I'm Nothing, With You, I'm Not Much Better that Bernhard appeared with her then good friend (and rumored lover) Madonna on a 1988 episode of Late Night with David Letterman. The two alluded to their romantic relationship and staged a sexy confrontation; the appearance received much publicity. They continued to be friends for several years, with Bernhard making an appearance in Madonna's film Truth or Dare.[17][18][19]
In 1991, Bernhard began playing Nancy Bartlett on the hit sitcom Roseanne. She appeared in 33 episodes between 1991 and 1997, and was one of the first actresses to portray an openly bisexual recurring character on American television.[20][21][22] In September 1992, Bernhard did a nude pictorial for Playboy.[23] She hosted the USA Network's Reel Wild Cinema for two seasons beginning in 1995.[24][25] She continued acting in mostly independent films, TV guest roles, and forays into mainstream films such as Hudson Hawk and Dallas Doll. In 1991, she released her first studio album, Excuses for Bad Behavior (Part One). In 1995, she briefly appeared as a guest in the "Jerk" episode of the animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast. In 1996, she guest-starred on an episode of Highlander: The Series called "Dramatic License", where she played a romance novelist writing about the life of the main character.
She appeared as herself on Will & Grace, in an episode where the title characters spuriously bid on Bernhard's Manhattan apartment in an attempt to become friendly with her. When their ruse is exposed, Bernhard rants at them, with the sounds of a blender (she was having a smoothie made) blotting out supposed obscenities. She briefly returned as herself two years later.[citation needed]
Bernhard returned to Broadway in 1998 with the show I'm Still Here... Damn It!, recorded for a live comedy album. She was pregnant at the time, and gave birth to daughter Cicely Yasin Bernhard on July 4, 1998.[26][27] She returned to New York in 2006 with the off-Broadway show Everything Bad & Beautiful. The CD of the show, released by indie label Breaking Records, was lauded as one of her best.[28] That year she also hosted the first season of the reality competition show The Search for the Funniest mother in America on Nick at Nite. 2007 saw the debut of her one-woman show Plan B from Outer Space, and the inclusion of her Hanukkah-themed song "Miracle of Lights", which she co-wrote with Mitchell Kaplan, in the Breaking Records compilation album Breaking For the Holidays. She toured Plan B through 2008 and performed "Miracle of Lights" on some morning shows in New York.[29][30]
Bernhard was a featured guest singer with children's artist Dan Zanes on the Family Dance album's "Thrift Shop".[31] In an interview with Howard Stern, she revealed that she was originally offered the role of Miranda Hobbes on the TV show Sex and the City, but opted out owing to the "terrible" original script and small paycheck.[32] In 2013, it was announced that she would join the cast of ABC Family's Switched at Birth with Glee's Max Adler, where she would play an art professor on the season 3 opener in January 2014.[33] In 2015, she began hosting a radio show, Sandyland, on Sirius XM's Radio Andy.[34]
In 2015, she made her first appearance as the recurring character of Joedth ("Joe") in season 4 of 2 Broke Girls. From 2018 until 2021, she played Nurse Judy on FX's POSE, a show based on queer and trans ball culture in Manhattan inspired by the documentary Paris Is Burning.[35]
Public controversies Edit
In 1995, while serving as a guest panelist on the Comedy Central talk show Politically Incorrect, Bernhard became engaged in an argument with fellow panelist, conservative political commentator John Lofton. Bernhard then stood up and spat at Lofton and exclaimed, "If I had you, you’d be an abortion."[36]
In August 2006, Bernhard served as the spokesperson in a commercial for Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC). In the commercial, promoting PlushGlass lipgloss, she referred to someone who might not approve of her outspokenness as a "little freaked out, intimidated, frightened, right-wing Republican thin-lipped bitch". MAC edited the line from the commercial to avoid unintentionally offending some of its customers.[37]
In September 2008, she warned vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin that she would be gang-raped by her "big black brothers" if she visited Manhattan. Palin had a campaign stop planned in New York City at the time.[38][39][40]
In November 2020, during an interview with Mariah Carey, Naomi Campbell called out Bernhard for her comments about Carey and Black men in her 1998 comedy show I'm Still Here… Damn It! In the show, Bernhard disparaged Carey's Black ancestry, saying "She's trying to backtrack on our asses by acting real nigger-ish there at the Royalton Hotel suite with Puff Daddy and all the greasy, chain-wearing Black men."[41]
Personal life Edit
Bernhard identifies as bisexual and is a strong supporter of LGBT rights.[42][43] On July 4, 1998, she gave birth to a daughter,[44] whom she raised with Sara Switzer, her partner of over 20 years.[45][46][47]
Music Edit
Bernhard performs classic pop music, jazz, and blues tunes. She has released several albums (combinations of music and comedy).[citation needed]
Albums Edit
| Singles Edit
Compilations Edit
|
Books Edit
- Confessions of a Pretty Lady, an autobiography (HarperCollins October 1989 ISBN 978-0-06-091620-6)
- Love, Love and Love, essay collection (HarperCollins June 1993 ISBN 978-0-06-016615-1)
- May I Kiss You on the Lips, Miss Sandra?, semi-autobiography (HarperCollins October 1999 ISBN 978-0-68-817163-6)
Filmography Edit
Film Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Shogun Assassin | Voice-over in English dub | |
| 1981 | Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams | Girl Nut | |
| 1983 | The King of Comedy | Masha | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1984 | The House of God | Angel Dutton | |
| 1985 | Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird | Grouch Diner Waitress | Cameo appearance |
| 1986 | The Whoopee Boys | Extra (uncredited) | |
| 1988 | Casual Sex? | Extra (uncredited) | |
| Track 29 | Nurse Stein | ||
| 1989 | Heavy Petting | Herself | Documentary |
| 1990 | Without You I'm Nothing | Herself (also writer) | |
| 1991 | Madonna: Truth or Dare | Herself | Documentary |
| Hudson Hawk | Minerva Mayflower | ||
| 1992 | Inside Monkey Zetterland | Imogene | |
| 1994 | Sandra Bernhard: Confessions of a Pretty Lady | Herself | |
| Dallas Doll | Dallas Adair | ||
| 1995 | Unzipped | Herself | Documentary |
| One Hundred and One Nights | La première quêteuse | ||
| The Reggae Movie | Herself | Documentary | |
| Catwalk | Herself | Documentary | |
| 1997 | Lover Girl | Marci Guerra/'Angel' | |
| The Apocalypse | J.T. Wayne | ||
| Plump Fiction | Bunny Roberts | ||
| 1998 | An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn | Ann Glover | |
| Exposé | Janet | ||
| Wrongfully Accused | Dr. Fridley | ||
| Somewhere in the City | Betty | ||
| I Woke Up Early the Day I Died | Sandy Sands/Professional Mourner and Stripper | ||
| 2000 | One Hell of a Guy | God | Voice |
| Playing Mona Lisa | Bibi Carlson | Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Stony Brook Film Festival | |
| Dinner Rush | Jennifer Freely | ||
| 2001 | Zoolander | Herself | Cameo appearance |
| 2003 | The Grumpy Bug | Narrator | Voice |
| 2004 | The N-Word | Herself | Documentary |
| The Easter Egg Adventure | Claralyne Cluck | Voice | |
| 2005 | Searching for Bobby D | Sherri Dansen | |
| 2009 | Dare | Dr. Serena Mohr | |
| 2010 | See You in September | Charlotte | |
| 2011 | Looking for Lenny | Herself | Documentary |
Television Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Richard Pryor Show | Featured Performer | Canceled after 4 episodes |
| 1985 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Karen | Episode: "Night Caller" |
| 1990 | Pee-Wee's Playhouse | Rhonda | Episode: "Camping Out" |
| 1991–1997, 2018 | Roseanne | Nancy Bartlett | Recurring role (33 episodes) |
| 1992 | Sandra After Dark, with Your Hostess, Sandra Bernhard | Herself (also co-executive producer) | TV film |
| 1992–93 | The A-List | Herself/host | 1 episode |
| 1994-96 | Reel Wild Cinema | Herself/host | 22 episodes |
| 1995 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Herself | 1 episode |
| Freaky Friday | Frieda Debny | TV film | |
| The Larry Sanders Show | Herself | 2 episodes | |
| 1996 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Herself | Voice, episode: "A Journey for the Betterment of People" |
| The Late Shift | Herself | TV film | |
| Highlander: The Series | Carolyn Marsh | Episode: "Dramatic License" | |
| 1997 | Superman: The Animated Series | Ms. Gsptlsnz | Voice, episode: "Mxypixilated" |
| Ally McBeal | Caroline Poop | 2 episodes | |
| 1998–99 | Hercules | Cassandra | Voice, main role |
| 1999 | Sandra Bernhard - I'm Still Here..Damn It! | Herself (also writer) | TV film |
| 2000 | The Sopranos | Herself as Gina | Episode: "D-Girl" |
| 2001-02 | Will & Grace | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Sandra Bernhard: Giving Them Lip | Herself | TV movie |
| 2001–03 | The Sandra Bernhard Experience | Herself/host | unknown episodes |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Priscilla Chaney | Episode: "Desperate" |
| Girlfriends | Marcia | Episode: "And Baby Makes Four" | |
| 2004 | Silver Lake | Sheila Fontana | Unsold pilot |
| 2004 | The Grumpy Bug | Narrator | Voice |
| 2004 | Whoopi's Littleburg | The Macaroni Lady | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Crossing Jordan | Roz Framus | 2 episodes |
| The L Word | Charlotte Birch | 5 episodes | |
| 2005–06 | The Queer Edge | Herself/co-host | 26 episodes |
| 2007 | Las Vegas | Margo Poon | Episode: "The Burning Bedouin" |
| The New Adventures of Old Christine | Audrey | Episode: "Strange Bedfellows" | |
| 2009 | Head Case | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Roseanne's Nuts | Herself | 1 episode |
| Hot in Cleveland | Nan | Episode: "Beards" | |
| 2012 | Family Guy | Herself | Voice, episode: "Ratings Guy" |
| GCB | Debby Horowitz | 1 episode | |
| DTLA | Carla | 3 episodes | |
| 2013 | The Neighbors | Ms. Porsche | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Switched at Birth | Prof. Teresa Ledarsky | 4 episodes |
| You're the Worst | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2014–15 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Darlene Linetti | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | 2 Broke Girls | Joedth | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Difficult People | Lilith Feigenbaum | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Broad City | Brenda | 2 episodes |
| 2018–21 | Pose | Judy Kubrak | 12 episodes |
| 2018 | American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Hannah | Episode: "Sojourn" |
| 2019 | Sweetbitter | Maddie Glover | 1 episode |
| 2022 | American Horror Story: NYC | Fran | 6 episodes |
Short subjects Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Museum of Love | Kitty | |
| 2003 | The Third Date | Ola | |
| 2006 | Twenty Dollar Drinks | Star |
Awards Edit
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The King of Comedy | NSFC Awards | Won | |
| 1991 | Hudson Hawk | Golden Raspberry Awards | Nominated | |
| 1997 | Highlander: The Series | OFTA Awards |
| Nominated |
| 2002 | Herself | GLAAD Media Awards | Won | |
| 2006 | Philadelphia QFest Awards |
| Won |
See also Edit
References Edit
- ^ a b "Horoscope: Gemini". Out. June 2003. p. 150. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Jeanette (LaZebnik) Bernhard Obituaryu". June 13, 2014. from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Iovine, Julie V. (October 22, 1998). "At Home With: Sandra Bernhard; When Baby Talk Makes Good Material". The New York Times.
- ^ from the original on 2023-02-14.
- ^ . SandraBernhard.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011.
- ^ Sentinel 1973. Scottsdale, AZ: Saguaro High School. p. 141. Retrieved May 27, 2021 – via Classmates.com.
- ^ "Gotham Comedy Club". gothamcomedyclub.com. Retrieved January 5, 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "When the Belly Room grew — and flopped — for female comics". The World from PRX. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ . comedyhype.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "RICHARD PRYOR SHOW, THE {TIM REID, SANDRA BERNHARD} (TV)". www.paleycenter.org. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ . The Dissolve. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "The King of Comedy". Edinburgh International Film Festival. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Oswell, Paul (June 10, 2015). "Sandra Bernhard on today's young actors: 'They don't have personalities'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Sandra Bernhard - I'm Your Woman". Discogs. 1985. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Melissa Anderson on Sandra Bernhard's Without You I'm Nothing at BAM". Artforum. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Travers, Peter (May 11, 1990). "Without You I'm Nothing". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Sager, Jessica (February 6, 2017). "Stars You Didn't Know Madonna Dated - Nicki Swift". NickiSwift.com. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Sandra Bernhard and Madonna Are 'Cool With Each Other' Again". Us Weekly. June 13, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Madonna; DeLory, Donna; Harris, Niki; Camacho, Luis (May 15, 1991), Madonna: Truth or Dare, retrieved January 5, 2021
- ^ Ballard, Jamie (March 29, 2018). "Everyone Is Dying to Know If Nancy Is Coming Back to "Roseanne"". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Done with 'Roseanne,' Sandra Bernhard is setting her sights higher". phillyvoice.com. June 6, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Sandra Bernhard on Her Bi 'Roseanne' Character and White Women Supporting Trump". advocate.com. March 29, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Sandra Bernhard". The Irish Times. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Bernhard, Sandra; Friedman, David F.; Meyer, Russ; Zappa, Dweezil (April 21, 1996), Reel Wild Cinema, retrieved January 5, 2021
- ^ Moore, Frazier. "Sandra Bernhard salutes the worst films ever with 'Reel Wild Cinema". southcoasttoday.com. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Bernhard Goes Maternal, CBS News, July 8, 1998. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
- ^ . CNN. July 8, 1998. Archived from the original on October 29, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
- ^ . Archived from the original on May 15, 2006. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
- ^ Jazz, All About (November 22, 2006). "Jazz news: Sandra Bernhard Releases "Miracles of Light"". All About Jazz. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
- ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (November 25, 2006). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Dan Zanes, Friends feat. Sandra Bernhard, Thrift Shop, retrieved March 2, 2022
- ^ "Sandra Bernhard Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Role Due To 'Terrible' Script And Low Paycheck". HuffPost. January 25, 2012.
- ^ "Switched at Birth Adds Max Adler and Sandra Bernhard"., TV Fanatic. October 11, 2013
- ^ "Behind the Voice: Sandra Bernhard elevates the conversation on Radio Andy". December 26, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- ^ "Cast & Crew POSE on FX". 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- ^ "To Insult Or Not Insult, That Was Sandra's Choice". The Spokesman-Review. March 3, 1995. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ . jewishworldreview.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ . New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
- ^ "Sandra Bernhard's 'gang rape by big black brothers' threat to Sarah Palin!".
- ^ . International Business Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
- ^ White, Adam (November 25, 2020). "Naomi Campbell condemns Sandra Bernhard over 'racist and disrespectful' Mariah Carey jokes". The Independent. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ "Sandra Bernhard: Bisexuality and savage wit". The Independent. London. October 22, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- ^ "INTERVIEW WITH SANDRA BERNHARD BY MARIANNE SCHNALL". www.feminist.com. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ Iovine, Julie V. (October 22, 1998), "At Home with: Sandra Bernhard When Baby Talk Makes Good Material", The New York Times, retrieved October 29, 2015
- ^ "LIZ SMITH: The Time of the Season ..." January 7, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- ^ Holmes, Anna (October 2008). "Sandra Bernhard, Daughter, Are A Duo Of Dames With Rebel Red". Jezebel.
- ^ Oswell, Paul (June 10, 2015). "Sandra Bernhard on today's young actors: 'They don't have personalities'". The Guardian.
- ^ a b "Sandra Bernhard". Billboard.
External links Edit
- Official website
- Sandra Bernhard at IMDb
- Sandra Bernhard at the Internet Broadway Database
- Sandra Bernhard at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Sandra Bernhard at AllMovie
- Bernhard's brief appearance in Philadelphia (video) November 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine