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Sandra Bernhard

Birth Place: Flint, MI, USA

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BIO

Bernhard became a staple at The Comedy Store. As her popularity as a comedian grew, she was cast as a supporting player on The Richard Pryor Show in 1977. 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. She was a frequent guest on David Letterman's NBC program Late Night with David Letterman, making 28 appearances starting in 1983.



She began performing her first one-woman show, I'm Your Woman, in 1985, and an album version was released.

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. The friendship ended in 1992.

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. In September 1992, Bernhard did a nude pictorial for Playboy. She hosted the USA Network's Reel Wild Cinema for two seasons beginning in 1995. 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.

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. 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. 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.


Bernhard was a featured guest singer with children's artist Dan Zanes on the Family Dance album's "Thrift Shop". 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. 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. In 2015, she began hosting a radio show, Sandyland, on Sirius XM's Radio Andy.

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.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Broadway]
Special Benefit Production, 2005
Performer

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1998
Performer

Writing


Awards and Nominations

Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1998 - Best Solo Performance

Sandra Bernhard , I'm Still Here... Damn It!

Videos

News


Joe's Pub at The Public Announces Sandra Bernhard's SHAPES & FORMS This December

Joe's Pub will welcome back Sandra Bernhard for Shapes & Forms, her new show running for 11 performances from December 26-31.
Amber Martin Releasing New LP ft. John Cameron Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, & More

Cabaret star Amber Martin has announced her new album Unbreakable Heart, set for release on November 15. Throughout the new project, Martin returns to her country roots with a collection of songs written by Jake Shears, Rufus Wainwright, and Tony Award-winner John Cameron Mitchell, all of whom are featured vocalists on the tracks.
Sandra Bernhard is Back on the Road with EASY LISTENING Live Tour 2024

Performer, actress, compelling storyteller Sandra Bernhard is going back on the road in 2024 with her 'Easy Listening' live extravaganza.  
THE TAMMY FAYMOUS CABARET is Coming to Joe's Pub

JOE’S PUB will present New York’s riotous and raucous hairy-chested, live singing drag queen TAMMY FAYMOUS! Learn how to purchase tickets.
BARD SUMMERSCAPE Opens This Week

Highlights of the 8-week Bard SummerScape in NY’s Hudson Valley include Meyerbeer’s opera LE PROPHÈTE and the Bard Music Festival, BERLIOZ & HIS WORLD.
Full Cast Set for THE VILLAGE! A DISCO DAYDREAM at Soho Playhouse

Discover the full cast for THE VILLAGE! A DISCO DAYDREAM by Nora Burns, directed by Adam Pivirotto, at Soho Playhouse. Learn how to purchase tickets.
 The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Adds to its 2024/2025 Season

 The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has added to its 2024/2025 Season lineup with contemporary programming.
Video: Watch Trailer for OUTSTANDING: A COMEDY REVOLUTION

Netflix has just debuted the first trailer for Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, the first feature length documentary to explore the history of queer stand up comedy. The film will premiere at the Tribeca Festival on Friday, June 7th ahead of its Netflix debut on June 18th. Watch the trailer now!
Larry Owens, Ari Shapiro & More Set for the Spiegeltent at Bard SummerScape 2024

The Fisher Center at Bard has revealed SummerScape 2024’s Spiegeltent programming. Learn how to purchase tickets!
Video: Watch Trailer for Documentary OUTSTANDING: A COMEDY REVOLUTION

The first teaser for the upcoming documentary Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution has just dropped.The documentary considers the importance of LGBTQ+ stand up as an instrument for social change over the past five decades, actively reflecting and challenging cultural norms and values. Ultimately, the film reveals that queer comedians — whether they intended to or not — helped change the world, one joke at a time. Watch the teaser here!
Previews: NIC & DESI BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD at Oscar's Cabaret

Summer’s just around the corner and the temperature is already rising… from the heat between Broadway’s favorite triple-threat lovebirds Nicolas Dromard & Desiree Davar! Broadway stars and real-life couple Nicolas & Desiree make their Oscar’s debut with ‘Nic & Desi: Broadway to Hollywood’.
New Work Series WITCHES, QUEERS AND CLOWNS Will Bring A Host of Radical Artists to HERE in March

The three-week performance series will feature music, theater, comedy and cabaret work from Matt Bovee, Scout Davis, Amy Jo Jackson, Dan Mills and Ben Thornewill, Kristin McCarthy Parker, Adam J. Rineer, and others, as well as the world premiere of Witches!? In Salem?! by Matt Cox (Puffs).
La MaMa Presents CANDIED CAMERA LIVE! The On-Stage Variety Show Celebrating The 30th Anniversary Of The 'Storied' Public Access TV Program

CANDIED CAMERA LIVE! at LA MAMA - Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the 'Storied' Public Access TV Program - opens tonight. Don't miss this on-stage variety show with special guests Michael Musto, Kevin Aviance, Lauren Ezersky, and Linda Simpson.
Michael Musto, Kevin Aviance & More to Join CANDIED CAMERA LIVE! La MaMa

La MaMa will present “Candied Camera LIVE!” – Nora Burns’ tongue-in-chic variety show (think “The Comeback” meets Spinal Tap) with guests, monologues, a multi-media mix of video clips and, of course, go-go boys.
La Mama to Present CANDIED CAMERA LIVE! - Created And Hosted By Nora Burns

LA MAMA will present “CANDIED CAMERA LIVE!” - a variety show celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 'Storied' public access TV program. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets!
Photos: Sandra Bernhard Opens EASY LISTENING at Joe's Pub

The actress, singer, comedic storyteller, and social commentator is a regular in The Pub and fans can always count on a rowsing good time (and thought-provoking, as well).  Check out photos from inside the big night.
Photos: The Gasp Collection

After four years at Broadway World Cabaret, quite a collection of photos has been amassed. These are the gasp-worthy pics.
Cabaret Photographers: Conor Weiss

Broadway World Cabaret gets photographic content from some of the best shutterbugs in the business. Here's a look at some of the captures they've shared with us.
Photos: Inside the MAY DECEMBER Screening in NYC With Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore & More

Check out photos of Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton, Todd Haynes, Samy Burch, Michael J. Fox, Debra Messing, Peter Friedman, Sandra Bernhard, Michael Emerson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Lucas Hedges, Rebecca Hall, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dianna Agron, and more at a screening of Netflix’s May December.
A VERY TAMMY FAYMOUS CHRISTMAS is Coming to 54 Below This Holiday Season

54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club, will present New York’s riotous and raucous hairy drag queen TAMMY FAYMOUS (ALEXANDER KACALA) in “A VERY TAMMY FAYMOUS CHRISTMAS” on Dec. 27, 2023.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Sandra Bernhard been in?

Sandra Bernhard has appeared on Broadway in 2 shows.

How many West End shows has Sandra Bernhard been in?

Sandra Bernhard has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Sandra Bernhard been nominated for?

and Best Solo Performance (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for I'm Still Here... Damn It!.

How many shows has Sandra Bernhard written?

Sandra Bernhard has written 1 shows including I'm Still Here...Damn It! (Playwright).

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