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Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we\u2019re told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they\u2019re given. This week, he talks to Sandra Bernhard. The American comedian, actor, singer, author and radio host, 70, best known for her roles in Roseanne and Severance, has been performing for more than five decades.<\/p>\n
![\"Sandra](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/f05a59dcfd55a9417225805b9b04c16a61e6b49f.jpeg\")
Sandra Bernhard: \u201cI don\u2019t know why [sex] is not more fun for people. It\u2019s a shame because it should be loose and groovy.\u201dMaro Hagopian
RELIGION<\/p>\n
Tell me about Jewish life, growing up. The most important part about being \u2009Jewish for me has always been family and tradition. My maternal grandparents came from Russia at the turn of the last century. They had a big family and all of their siblings came over, too. There were dinners and holidays together. It was just fun. I love being Jewish. Like with any religion, it\u2019s like year after year, it unfolds \u2013 the reading of the Torah, the same holidays \u2013 full circle. There\u2019s something very comforting about that.<\/p>\n
For many Jews, it has been an especially difficult time lately. How has it been for \u2009you? I\u2019m not scared. I\u2019m not worried about prejudice or people attacking me. I\u2019m confident and relaxed in who I am, whether it\u2019s my sexuality, femininity, womanhood or religion. But I don\u2019t want people getting killed in the name of Israel.<\/p>\n
Speaking of which, you\u2019re a signatory of the open letter by Artists4Ceasefire. Why \u2009was it important for you to sign it? We know what happened on October 7th: it was horrible. There\u2019s no excuse for it \u2026 Benjamin Netanyahu dragged this thing out so he didn\u2019t have to go to prison. It\u2019s disgusting and unacceptable. That\u2019s where I stand.<\/p>\n
POLITICS<\/p>\n
How would you describe your politics and personal values? Super liberal and humanitarian. I have the willingness to sacrifice, pay taxes and do what I have to do to contribute to the relief of people who aren\u2019t in my position and don\u2019t have money.<\/p>\n
Do you feel there\u2019s a responsibility for artists and performers to be politically outspoken \u2013 to use their platforms, essentially? Oh, definitely. I feel I must tell the truth, that I must support people and even sacrifice certain elements of myself \u2013 and my working life \u2013 using that platform to say what\u2019s important.<\/p>\n
How are you feeling about the state of America at the moment? Realistic. It\u2019s likely things will change again. It\u2019s going to take time because we\u2019ve got to get Trump out of office and hold people accountable for all the things that they\u2019re doing right now. It\u2019s not pleasant while it\u2019s happening, but that\u2019s the way it goes.<\/p>\n
Can you be friends with someone who doesn\u2019t share your politics? Probably not right now, no. I\u2019m not saying I wouldn\u2019t be open to trying to help them see the light, but if they were Trumpers and committed to MAGA, no, I cannot be their friend.<\/p>\n
SEX<\/p>\n
When I say \u201csex\u201d, what are the first things that come to mind for you? Fun, intimacy, glamour, escape.<\/p>\n
I love that you said \u201cfun\u201d: it\u2019s treated so seriously, right? I know! I don\u2019t know why it\u2019s not more fun for people. It\u2019s a shame because it should be loose and groovy.<\/p>\n
What kind of person were you attracted to when you were younger? Is it the same kind of person now? Oh, god, I\u2019ve gone through so many evolutions. When I liked men, they were usually jocks and kind of WASP-y. When I \u2009liked women, they were sort of older, intellectual and sexy. I find interesting people attractive but, of course, I like beauty, too. I\u2019m a little bit superficial in that way, but you can\u2019t blame me for that.<\/p>\n
![\"Bernhard,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4be88050ac3d822fe426159e1eac389a28101615.jpeg\")
Bernhard, left, in 1992 with Roseanne Barr in her groundbreaking role in Roseanne.Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images<\/p>\n
You were one of the first actors to play a recurring character who\u2019s openly queer on American TV [in Roseanne] in the 1990s. Did it feel groundbreaking? No, it really wasn\u2019t a big deal. We were just figuring out what to do with the character of Nancy [Bartlett Thomas] after she broke up with Arnie. We were like, \u201cOh, let\u2019s just make her bisexual. She was so disgusted by being married to Arnie, now she\u2019s with women!\u201d It was never like, \u201cLet\u2019s write a gay character and really freak audiences.\u201d It was just funny and natural and the perfect thing to do with her.<\/p>\n
Was there a big public response to your character being bisexual? I don\u2019t remember anything, to be honest with you. Audiences loved Roseanne and they loved the idea. I think that\u2019s why it was so effective \u2013 because it wasn\u2019t hitting people over the head.<\/p>\n
Do you remember first meeting your partner, Sara Switzer? What attracted you to her? She was the entertainment editor for Harper\u2019s Bazaar and asked me to write an article for her. We were already in a conversation, so when I happened to bump into her in my neighbourhood \u2013 she lived nearby without me knowing it \u2009\u2013 it was like, \u201cOh, she\u2019s really pretty. Oh, she\u2019s cute. Oh, she\u2019s sexy.\u201d<\/p>\n
How many years has it been now? We\u2019ve been together for more than 26 years.<\/p>\n
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![\"Benjamin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/200dfe53161159865d0b70661715db24a4388aa8201497556e57331c509499ca.png\")
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