Sandra Bernhard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sandra Bernhard
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Bernhard in 2016
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| Born | June 6, 1955 Flint, Michigan, U.S.
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| Education | Saguaro High School |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | Nancy Bartlett Thomas in Roseanne and Judy Kubrak in Pose |
| Partner(s) | Sara Switzer (1999–present) |
| Children | 1 |
Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She first became known in the late 1970s for her stand-up comedy. In her shows, she often talked about famous people and political leaders in a funny way.
Sandra Bernhard is also known for her roles in TV shows and movies. She played Nancy Bartlett Thomas on the TV show Roseanne from 1991 to 1997. She also appeared as Masha in the film The King of Comedy and as Nurse Judy Kubrak in the TV series Pose. She was even listed as one of the top 100 stand-up comedians by Comedy Central.
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Early Life and Education
Sandra Bernhard was born on June 6, 1955, in Flint, Michigan. Her mother was Jeanette, and her father was Jerome Bernhard. She grew up in a Conservative Jewish family.
She has three older brothers named Dan, David, and Mark. When she was 10 years old, her family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. She went to Saguaro High School and finished in 1973. After high school, she traveled to Israel and lived there for seven months.
Career Highlights
Sandra Bernhard started her comedy career at The Comedy Store in Hollywood, a famous place for comedians. As she became more popular, she got a role on The Richard Pryor Show in 1977. She also started appearing on evening talk shows.
Her big chance came in 1981 when director Martin Scorsese chose her for the movie The King of Comedy. She played a character named Masha and won an award for her acting in that film. She was also a frequent guest on David Letterman's TV show, appearing many times.
One-Woman Shows and Music
In 1985, Sandra Bernhard began performing her first one-woman show called I'm Your Woman. A one-woman show is a performance where one person tells stories, sings, and acts out different characters. She later released an album version of this show.
She continued to develop her comedy into a unique performance art style. In 1988, she launched another one-woman show called Without You, I'm Nothing, With You, I'm Not Much Better. This show became both a film and a double album. The album was even nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990.
Sandra Bernhard also appeared with her friend Madonna on Late Night with David Letterman in 1988. They were good friends for several years, and Sandra even appeared in Madonna's film Truth or Dare. Their friendship ended in 1992.
Television and Film Roles
In 1991, Bernhard joined the cast of the popular TV show Roseanne as Nancy Bartlett. She appeared in many episodes until 1997. She also hosted Reel Wild Cinema on the USA Network for two seasons.
She acted in various independent films and had guest roles on TV shows. Some of her mainstream films include Hudson Hawk and Dallas Doll. In 1991, she released her first studio album, Excuses for Bad Behavior (Part One). She also made a guest appearance on the animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast and in an episode of Highlander: The Series.
Sandra Bernhard appeared as herself on the TV show Will & Grace. She also hosted a radio show called Sandyland on Sirius XM's Radio Andy starting in 2015.
From 2018 to 2021, she played Nurse Judy on FX's series Pose. This show was about ball culture in Manhattan, which is a vibrant community for queer and trans people. In 2025, she appeared as Nurse Cecily in the series Severance.
Personal Life
Sandra Bernhard has been a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights. On July 4, 1998, she had a daughter named Cicely. She raised Cicely with her partner, Sara Switzer, whom she has been with for over 20 years.
Music and Books
Sandra Bernhard performs different types of music, including classic pop music, jazz, and blues. She has released several albums that combine her music and comedy.
She has also written several books:
- Confessions of a Pretty Lady (1989)
- Love, Love and Love (1993)
- May I Kiss You on the Lips, Miss Sandra? (1999)
Filmography
Film
- The King of Comedy (1983) as Masha
- Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird (1985) as Grouch Diner Waitress
- Without You I'm Nothing (1990) as Herself
- Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) as Herself
- Hudson Hawk (1991) as Minerva Mayflower
- Dallas Doll (1994) as Dallas Adair
- Zoolander (2001) as Herself
- Dare (2009) as Dr. Serena Mohr
- Babes (2024) as Dr. Shirley
Television
- The Richard Pryor Show (1977) as Featured Performer
- Roseanne (1991–1997, 2018) as Nancy Bartlett
- Reel Wild Cinema (1994–1996) as Herself/host
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1995) as Herself
- Highlander: The Series (1996) as Carolyn Marsh
- Superman: The Animated Series (1997) as Ms. Gsptlsnz (voice)
- Ally McBeal (1997) as Caroline Poop
- Hercules (1998–1999) as Cassandra (voice)
- The Sopranos (2000) as Herself
- Will & Grace (2001–2002) as Herself
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2003) as Priscilla Chaney
- The L Word (2005) as Charlotte Birch
- Hot in Cleveland (2011) as Nan
- Family Guy (2012) as Herself (voice)
- Switched at Birth (2014) as Prof. Teresa Ledarsky
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2014–2015) as Darlene Linetti
- 2 Broke Girls (2015) as Joedth
- Broad City (2017) as Brenda
- Pose (2018–2021) as Judy Kubrak
- American Horror Story: Apocalypse (2018) as High Priestess Hannah Putt
- American Horror Story: NYC (2022) as Fran Levinsky
- Severance (2025) as Nurse Cecily
Images for kids
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Bernhard hosting The Queer Edge with Jack E. Jett
See also
In Spanish: Sandra Bernhard para niños
