Actress, singer, writer, and comedian Sandra Bernhard first gained widespread fame with
her role as Masha in the 1982 film The King of Comedy.
Bernhard then really cemented her celebrity status as a favorite guest on Late Night with
David Letterman, and continued to perform in one-woman shows, film, and TV — perhaps
most notably in Roseanne as Nancy Bartlett.
As it turns out, Bernhard has remained extremely busy over the past few years.
Here's what she's been up to.
On the road
Bernhard actually got her start as a stand-up comic with her sharp and scathing one-woman
shows in the late 1970s, and she's still at it today with a number of regular gigs.
Critics still love Bernhard's comedic stylings and observations on politics and culture.
In a December 2016 review of Bernhard's show "Sandra Monica Boulevard: Coast to Coast,"
Variety raved,
"Bernhard remains as brash and brazen as she was in the 1970s, when she first came to fame
critiquing celebrity culture and satirizing establishment politicians… within every
keenly observed pop-culture rant, there's an element of piercing truth."
Radio regular
As part of Andy Cohen's Sirius XM radio channel Radio Andy, Bernhard hosts her own daily show
called "Sandyland," in which she interviews celebrities, including Alec Baldwin, David
Arquette, Susan Sarandon, Jennifer Hudson, and many more.
In an interview with The Creative Independent, Bernhard explained her love for hosting the
show, saying,
"It's wonderful… the show is very open and because I haven't boxed myself into a corner
regarding what the show is about, I think people feel very relaxed about talking about
whatever is going on in their lives."
Ending a feud
In 2015, Bernhard appeared on Andy Cohen's Bravo show Watch What Happens Live! and discussed
her feud with former pal David Letterman.
When Cohen asked whether she had upset Letterman somehow, Bernhard replied,
"Apparently I did but I don't know what it was…
'Cause he said, he asked me last time I was on if I was trashing him and I said, 'I've
never, why would I trash you, Dave?'"
But in 2017, ran into Letterman at the Sirius XM studios, and the feud seemed to have magically
disappeared.
"And I hadn't seen him in a very long time 'cause he didn't have me on the show for a
very long time.
So I was really nervous to see him, and he couldn't have been sweeter."
Apparently, all's well that ends well.
She went on to explain,
"I sort of like had a mad crush on Letterman all those years…
You know, back in the day, he was really fun and he was into it.
I think, when he moved to CBS, I don't know, he cleaned the decks."
A fizzled friendship
In 1988, Bernhard made an infamous appearance on Late Night with David Letterman with her
bestie at the time, Madonna, during which she joked about sleeping with the Material
Girl.
"You were much better!"
[Laughter]
But unfortunately, the friendship soured as the years went by.
Bernhard explained the rift to The Telegraph in 2010, claiming simply that Madonna didn't
want to be friends anymore.
She went on to say,
"She's just a weird person.
She doesn't like consistency in her life; she likes to push things away."
"And I think we were a really good example of two women being friends.
To me, that was the saddest part of our friendship dissolving."
However, Bernhard did publicly defend Madonna when comments the singer made at the Women's
March in Washington, D.C. in January 2017 caused some serious media backlash.
Bernhard told San Francisco Weekly,
"She was in the moment and being off the cuff in the way she does."
"Obviously, Madonna's not an idiot.
She's a provocateur in her way, as I am in my way."
No label
For years, Bernhard has been in a long-term relationship with partner Sara Switzer, with
whom she had a daughter in 1998.
She's also a vocal supporter of LGBTQ rights, though she prefers not to strictly define
her own preferences.
In 2012, Roseanne Barr interviewed the comedian for Interview magazine, and when Bernhard
was questioned about her refusal to identify as a lesbian, she responded,
"I never classified what I was, and still don’t.
A lot of different people turn me on and have over the years, and I’ve always wanted to
make it very clear that this was not coming from some sort of anti-male point of view."
Almost Miranda
Fun fact: Bernhard was originally offered the role of Miranda in Sex and the City.
In 2017, she revealed to Wendy Williams that she turned it down because she wasn't offered
enough money.
"It was right after Roseanne, and I'd already gotten my money kinda up here.
I didn't know the times would be a-changin', okay?"
As for her thoughts on Cynthia Nixon, who ended up playing Miranda?
"But you know what, I've gotta give it up to that lady, because she's really talented."
Still a wordsmith
As if her resume could get any more impressive, Bernhard is also a published author.
In addition to the three books she's already written, Bernhard feels like she has at least
one more book in her.
She told The Creative Independent in October 2016,
"I'm trying to put together another book — something like, Welcome to Sandyland!, which could be
random essays about, well, you know.
Everything…
So, there are a lot of exciting things, but it's always about waiting to see what comes
together first...
Sometimes you have to be willing to wait."
Hopefully for fans, the wait won't last long
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