Sandra Bernhard Still Speaks Her Mind—With Some Exceptions
In the 2022 Netflix special Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration, Lily Tomlin introduces Sandra Bernhard as “indescribable.” That’s a pretty good way of putting it: Bernhard, who identifies as bisexual, has been a transgressive, queer force in comedy since she broke out in stand-up in the 1970s. Soon after, she launched to stardom in Martin Scorsese’s 1981 dark comedy The King of Comedy; since then, her career has taken her to everything from a recurring role on Roseanne to a stint on Broadway, multiple music albums, and beyond.
“Not only do I love what I do as a performer and artist, but I’m really interested in the world,” Bernhard tells The Daily Beast’s Obsessed over Zoom, in a recent interview. The comic is reflecting on her career in light of the June 22 release of Netflix’s Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, which traces stand-up’s queer history through some of its most iconic faces. “It’s very easy for me to just sit down in any situation and put myself second, and focus on who I’m with, and try to draw the best out of those people.”
This sense of belief and investment in others has been Bernhard’s prerogative for the entirety of her career. It stems from her childhood, when the comic—who was born in Flint, Michigan—moved to Arizona with her family when she was 10.