'Queen of Comedy' at U. of Arts

Having worked as comedic actress, singer or manicurist, Sandra Bernhard has no regret.

Except, perhaps, turning down the role of Miranda on Sex and the City.

"I don't think I would have lasted," Bernhard said yesterday at a public interview with University of the Arts professor Camilla Paglia on the University of the Arts campus.

Paglia, a long-time friend of Bernhard, said that the actress has "a wealth of knowledge to share," and that her role in the 1983 film The King of Comedy was "one of the most indelible" in all of comedy.

Whether because of her religion, gender, sexuality or simply her independent personality, Bernhard has always stood out from the crowd.

Naming Carol Channing and Mary Tyler Moore as two of her inspirations, Bernhard described herself as the antithesis of Amy Winehouse-type celebrities.

Bernhard took Paglia and the audience through each stage in her career, beginning with high school, when she was prohibited from participating in musical comedies because she wasn't in the appropriate level of chorus.

Describing her high school days, Bernhard said, "I kind of did my own thing - I listened to Joni Mitchell."

After graduating high school early and spending a year on a kibbutz, Bernhard eventually made it to Los Angeles, where she made ends meet by giving celebrities manicures.

But by the mid-1980s, Bernhard was performing one-woman shows, eventually landing a role on the TV show Roseanne in 1991.

Her role as the bisexual Nancy Bartlett on Roseanne made Bernhard a role model to many in the gay community, and she has since had a recurring role on The L Word.

Describing her sexuality as "fluid," Bernhard said she has "never been interested in being accepted by groups of people," and that she refuses "to commit to any kind of sexual dogma."

At the end of the interview, Bernhard answered audience questions about everything from her views on Hillary Clinton - Bernhard said she wouldn't "cry the blues" if Clinton were elected - to false rumors of a "fling" with Madonna.

Audience member Anne Zigeler called Bernhard "an outrageous talent" and said that it is a shame she hasn't been in more movies.

University of the Arts sophomore Michelle Iseman said that, after attending the interview, she is interested in seeing more of Bernhard's work.

Bernhard herself said she enjoyed the interview, calling it "fantastic" and saying she had a "marvelous time."

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