Sandra Bernhard joins CHANNEL Q
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00:00Hi there.
00:19I think you're muted.
00:22How are you, Corey?
00:24Hi, Ken. How are you? Long time no see.
00:26Yeah, we have Sandra Bernhardt in the house.
00:30Sandra, thank you so much for the time today. I'm so excited to speak with you.
00:34Thank you. Thanks, Corey.
00:37We'll get started if you're ready.
00:39I'm ready.
00:40All right. Sounds great.
00:43Channel Q, joined by a true icon.
00:46We are so excited to spend some time with Sandra Bernhardt,
00:48who you are everywhere right now on some of the hottest and most anticipated shows and movies.
00:54I don't think there has been a show on more people's mouths this year than Severance.
01:01I mean, a cultural phenomenon.
01:03What did you think when you were signing on for that show for season two?
01:09Well, I mean, it's obvious.
01:11It's just like one of those shows that just is a huge, you know, cut above everything else.
01:17It's just, I mean, it's just not, it's not the norm to be able to create that sort of originality,
01:24especially now when there's so much cramming the airwaves.
01:30How was your experience working with that team?
01:32Oh, it was terrific.
01:34It was terrific.
01:34You know, you walk in and you just get to work.
01:38I mean, it's not, nobody's like coddling you and, you know, everybody,
01:43and everybody's coming and going because different scenes are being shot at different stages
01:47and different times and people are finishing and they're coming into the makeup trailer
01:52and getting their makeup off or coming in.
01:54And so you're just sort of like quiet and watching it all unfold
01:59because when you're not a part of a show on a regular basis,
02:02there's a lot of like, just, you know, observation
02:06and really like respect for those who are there day in and day out.
02:11And then you just get to work and do what you came to do.
02:16Season one was big.
02:17Season two was bigger.
02:19Did you have that feeling while you were working on the show?
02:23Um, you don't have any feeling when you're working on a show,
02:26to be honest with you, especially a show like that,
02:28because it's just so specific and nobody like talks about anything other than the work
02:36and that's in front of them.
02:38So you don't really think about it.
02:40And I shot it over a year ago and they, you know, of course,
02:44asked me never to say a word about it, which I didn't.
02:47And I couldn't even talk about it until after my, um, my episodes aired, which I love.
02:52I mean, it was like, who wants to talk about it and beat it to death?
02:55You want, let the work speak for itself.
02:57And let people get excited and have it unfold.
03:01And that's how it all came out.
03:03So I'm just really, I'm honored to be a part of it.
03:07And, um, I think that I brought a lot to it.
03:11So I think it's on both levels.
03:12It was a very successful experience.
03:15You were a guest judge on this season of Drag Race.
03:20You shot your episode, I have to assume, far before the November election.
03:26Did you know in that moment how important it was for you to be on that show and share
03:31the messages that you did without knowing where our country would be, you know, six,
03:35eight, 10 months later?
03:37I mean, I've been on the tip of the forefront and the tip of the LGBTQ plus scene since the
03:45seventies.
03:46I mean, this is nothing new for me.
03:48I've been a trailblazer, a trendsetter, unapologetic way before anybody else.
03:54So for me, it's not like, I want to go on.
03:56No, it was like, I wanted to go on because I wanted to be funny and entertain people.
04:03And I think it's an important show because it, you know, it's accepted by everybody.
04:09Everybody likes drag queens.
04:10Everybody watches the show.
04:12So that stopped playing this, you know, game in America, you know, and, and, and it's
04:18just, it's, it's, it's bizarre.
04:22It's absurd.
04:25Everybody has somebody who's gay in their family.
04:28Everybody knows a drag queen.
04:30Everybody knows a trans person.
04:32So that's just like cut the bullshit.
04:35Absolutely.
04:36Enough.
04:37Yes.
04:38Period.
04:39You know, it was a reunion of sorts too, for you with Rue.
04:43One of my favorite moments from the OG Rue Paul show is, is your iconic Hanukkah episode.
04:49Was there any sort of nostalgia working with, with Rue again, after all these years?
04:55It's like laser focused.
04:57You don't have a lot of conversation with Rue.
05:01A drag race.
05:02It's not cozy.
05:03Okay.
05:04And I don't mean that in a critical way.
05:05I can, I can imagine being in that position and not having the bandwidth or the energy
05:11to like, welcome every single guest and person who comes in there.
05:14It's too much.
05:15There's too much going on.
05:17And the emotions of, you know, the, the, the performers and the people, you know, the
05:22drag artists, everybody's freaking out.
05:24Everybody's ready to get, you know, axed.
05:27So, so like, I'm just there.
05:30I'm in my thing.
05:31Do I'm a pro.
05:32It's like, I don't need my handheld.
05:34So no, we didn't talk too much, but I talked to Michelle, um, massage a lot.
05:39Michelle was, I didn't even talk to her a lot.
05:41She was just like easier, but it was great.
05:45It was a great experience.
05:47I was on Instagram the other day, scrolling.
05:50I swear it was like, not, not knowing that I was going to be speaking with you soon.
05:54And in my feed was an old clip from you and one of your many Letterman appearances.
06:00You know, looking back on that, what do you remember most about, about those days on the
06:04show?
06:05Well, first of all, I mean, my person is sort of curates everything from Sandra Bernhard
06:10fan is constantly like finding those, you know, little moments.
06:15And there were so many moments.
06:17And every time I went on that show and I freaking, of course you forget some of the things you
06:21say and that makes me laugh.
06:23And I was so like, you know, I was really young and I was like just starting out.
06:28And I mean, I was just starting out in terms of success.
06:31I'd already been at it for a long time.
06:33Um, and it was just so much fun.
06:36And I always had a crush on David and it was cute and fun.
06:39And, and it was like, um, appointment, you know, viewing, because, you know, if you didn't
06:45watch shows like Letterman live, you weren't going to see them again.
06:49Yeah.
06:49They didn't repeat David Letterman.
06:52So, you know, you know, the people got together in college campuses and dorm rooms or wherever
06:59and watch that show and it had meaning.
07:02And it was like, that was when you were on the cutting edge in a more, to me, genuine way
07:09than now.
07:09And I, I, I miss those days.
07:11That's exactly what I was going to say is that, you know, now stars, even, even comics
07:16are so manicured and their, their image has to be so tightly, you know, curated for social
07:23media, watching this clip, you were so free and so comfortable and so fun and genuine.
07:28I mean, did that help get you to where you are now?
07:31And do you miss some of that, that freedom that seems like it's kind of missing from the
07:36current way that, that people are in Hollywood?
07:40You know what?
07:41I just keep doing what I do.
07:42I put on my blinders.
07:44I am who I am.
07:46Um, I don't think social media is the place to like be nuanced or like really say anything
07:53of great value.
07:55Because if you can't, if there's not an interaction, if you're not watching it in real time, it's
08:01just sort of like ephemeral, kind of just like, it's like cotton candy.
08:05It's just like, you put a little water on it and just like evaporates.
08:08So I, that's where my live performing comes in.
08:11That's when people come to see me at the venues and they, you know, sit in the audience and I
08:16have that exchange with them and that connection and that continuity.
08:20That's where I save, um, my spontaneity because I know we're all in it together, but it's,
08:29it'll never be the way it was when I was starting out.
08:32Well, it's, it's a good thing.
08:33You're saving that for, uh, for the live show because you've got a stage show, uh, really
08:38excited.
08:39Tell us about what you're going to be doing on stage in shapes and forms.
08:43You know, it's, it draws a lot from, um, people I've known sometimes famous people, people
08:53I wish I'd known, you know, these ideas of like, who, who's sexy, who, you know, romance
09:01fun.
09:03And then it's all woven in with, you know, my favorite, some of my favorite songs, which is
09:08like what I love doing.
09:09I love curating music from my show.
09:12And, um, here in New York, I'm, I'm also performing at Cafe Carlisle, but that's a different show.
09:17That'll be something that's very, you know, specific for that venue, more musical.
09:23Um, you know, it's, it's such a tiny, intimate little room.
09:28So, um, I'm, I'll be spinning two plates at once.
09:31I'll be out on the road with shapes and forms, which I put together at Joe's pub in December.
09:37I haven't done it since.
09:39Um, it's all crazy.
09:40And then just kind of like touching on what's going on politically and, and, you know, what,
09:46how everybody's just sort of like spinning out of control and how I always feel like I'm
09:52one of the kind of people who like can, you know, anchor people.
09:57That's what, that's what I kind of do as a, as a artist and as a person.
10:02So I look forward to that as well.
10:05That's such a hard thing to do.
10:07I feel like to, to provide that anchor at a time where on a daily basis, maybe hourly
10:13basis, we're thrown with some new thing that could, you know, send you into a tailspin
10:17as an artist.
10:19Does that feel like an opportunity and obligation and excitement?
10:23Like where, where does that fit for you?
10:25And kind of all of the above.
10:28And sometimes it feels like I won't touch on it too much because people will come to
10:34a show.
10:35They've been inundated with news and information, some true, some not.
10:40I know they'll look to me to like, you know, take the veneer off of it and the crap.
10:46And I do that.
10:47But then I want to jump into other things that are more, you know, emotional, visceral,
10:54personal, and really take people on a journey so that they don't have to sit there for an
11:00hour and a half and absorb more, you know, punches and blows.
11:05Shapes and forms on the road later this month.
11:11So excited for that.
11:12Severance on Apple TV plus you're in survival of the thickest on Netflix.
11:16There's so, I mean, it, we, I can't keep track of your schedule.
11:20I don't know how you do.
11:22We're so excited for all of it.
11:24We're all doing okay, but I'm excited too.
11:27I really am.
11:28I'm excited to get back out on the road.
11:30It's spring.
11:31It's time to like shake it up.
11:34Well, I was, you mentioned spring because the other day I'm in New York and it was like
11:38the first nice day in New York in months.
11:41And I looked out the window and I was like, oh my gosh, that seasonal depression thing
11:45is real.
11:46Like, yeah.
11:49And this year was this, this winter was so cold.
11:53I mean, it was like, wow.
11:55Disgusting.
11:55Nice that, you know, it's all sort of like lightening up.
12:00And it's a good feeling.
12:02Well, we are lucky to be treated by not just the blooms and the sun, but also all the
12:06projects you're working on and the show making its way across the country very soon.
12:11Sandra, thank you so much for the time.
12:13It's been so lovely to speak.
12:14Thank you, Corey.
12:15See you soon, honey.
12:17Okay.
12:17That's great.
12:18Again, I really so much appreciate it.
12:19And thank you, Ken.
12:20And I'm really excited to watch everything.
12:22Great.
12:23I love it.
12:24Beautiful.
12:24Well, enjoy your weekend, please.
12:26You too.
12:27All right.
12:27Take care.
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