“You’re a cigarette come to life …”
– the great Paul Mooney, in reference to Sandra Bernhard

There are some comedians who always appear to be citizens of nowhere in the fabric of the entertainment industry, and yet they are widely loved. Like the post-it note, they make sense in retrospect. Sandra Bernhard fits that bill. Most recognized for her role as Nancy on Roseanne in the early ’90s, she’s shared the stage with some of the great comedic minds of our generation, always peppering her act with a healthy dose of frank honesty, powered by sass and wrapped in fine couture. On December 16th, she will be performing an intimate show at Axis Nightclub. (614) caught up with Bernhard about her outlook, drives and passion for the stage amidst a hectic schedule.

You’ve worked with some of the best people in entertainment. Robert DeNiro in The King of Comedy, Roseanne, which was one of the best sitcoms ever, in my opinion. You’ve worked along side Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Paul Mooney, but there’s one role I’d like to focus in on, here … Highlander: The Series.

[Laughter] That was a short-lived experience. I think everything I’ve done has been cumulative. Every time you get to work in front of the camera and work with other actors, you take something from it. I always take in a lot from people and observe. Everyone has their own approach to how they do their scenes and all the directors have their own unique approach, so it’s always a learning process, and you can never know too much. I never turn up my nose at any experience. For me it’s a continuum and an overview. I’ve not really gotten to play the role that I’m most excited about yet, so I’m always looking forward and digging deeper. Maybe I don’t even know what the role is yet.

Looking at your stage show now compared to when you started, it looks like you haven’t lost a lick of the old magic. How have you managed to maintain your energy?

First of all, I take really good care of myself. Physically, I’m in good shape and I don’t drink and I’ve never done drugs, so I just try to live a very balanced life emotionally and in terms of what I expose myself to. I always try and read and always stay open to things. I’ve got a 13 year-old daughter and a wonderful relationship. It’s all about staying balanced and connected to what interests you and staying enthusiastic about things, and for me, that’s really the secret.

What brings you to Columbus – the capital of a red state?

It’s how I make my living and you want to stay connected to all the different markets, wherever people want you. It’s what you do. You make the rounds. They won’t be disappointed. We’ll definitely have a fun time and it’ll be upbeat and crazy in a good way. It’s a club show. It’s not the kind of show I’d do at a theater, but it’ll be intimate, fun and I’m really excited about coming back to Ohio. I love the Midwest. I’m from Michigan originally and I was born in Flint. I think the Midwest has been hit really hard and it’s nice to be able to go there and give people a little boost. I’m really excited about it.

A good portion of your act involves lampooning popular culture. Does it make it easier to do so in a time and cultural climate that’s obsessed with the idea of celebrity?

It ranges from the political spectrum to people in “entertainment,” you know. The Real Housewives of various cities. Some of the pop luminaries. There’s so much to draw from, really. It’s kind of endless, and since I do a lot of improvising day to day, there’s always room for the crazy de jour. I think what’s going on now in politics is such a circus, so you can’t really even comment on it with any sort of intelligence. I have compassion for everybody. I’ve approached it in a lot of different ways over the years. I always try to come at it from an intellectual and intelligent approach. It’s not like I’m out there to tear people apart – that certainly isn’t my goal. I try tolift up society and culture and kind of take a peek underneath it and do it with an ironic voice, and that’s been my style for many years.

Do you feel as if you’ve ever compromised your material to navigate the waters of show business?

No, no, no, and certainly not with my live performance. I think when you go on TV or on a talk show, it can’t be exactly what you want it to be, but you can still bring enough of your message that it doesn’t end up getting completely lost.

In addition to comedy, you’re a singer, as well. Do you prefer one half of your act to the other?

It’s all coming through my music director, Mitch Kaplan. Often when I do bigger shows, I have a full band, but you can get a lot done with just a keyboard, so I’ll be doing two or three songs, woven into the show. The kind of show I do, I need both and I enjoy both. They both have their purpose.

Does it make it hard to keep the edge when you have a daughter?

Not at all. They’re two separate things. She knows what I do and we certainly have fun around the house. She gets who I am, but that’s never been an issue. You do your work and can’t suddenly get all weepy and melancholy all the time, just because you have a kid.

Is there any particular role in your career that stands out as your favorite?

I think every day I get to be in the business and perform can be creative and amazing. Working on Roseanne was amazing. The King of Comedy was amazing. Going on the road countless times and doing my own work. It’s really an overview, and it’s hard to break it down into individual parts.

When I started doing The Richard Pryor Show, that was a big turning point for me. When I left my day job as a manicurist, because I was making enough money performing, that was a big turning point, as well. I kept moving forward, and I’ve been very blessed to make a living at what I do.

Was it tough putting forth a persona that’s so realistic in a business that is inherently based on the imaginary?

I think the overriding thing is that you can’t go inside someone’s head and make them change. By being a thoughtful entertainer, somebody’s not just going through the jokes, but also posing questions, holding up a mirror. Hopefully, you might influence someone to be a little bit more open, a little more tolerant of other people’s ways of living and being. I think it’s a great way of evolving as a person.

Some of your onstage sensibilities have been adopted by Kathy Griffin, and your own style has been likened to the work of Joan Rivers. Are those fair comparisons?

Kathy Griffin does her own thing. It’s black and white and she’s very successful at what she does, and good for her. I love Joan Rivers, but I do a whole different approach. I was more into Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler and a lot of great singers. Music and culture interest me in such a way that it really wasn’t about stand-up comedy in the beginning, per se.

Do you find, even now, that you’re boxed in by a rather male-dominated profession?

It’s still tough. It’s still different for women than it is for men in this business, but you find your in-roads and you work with them. You can’t get caught up in that. It’s a white man’s world and it’s slowly shifting, but it’s always going to be sexist attitudes that get in the way. I just stick to my guns and do my thing and I don’t get caught up in it. I don’t really have beef. It doesn’t help things.

You catered to a gay audience long before shows like Will and Grace made it a part of the pop culture lexicon. Do you ever feel constrained by that label?

Everybody wants to be gay-friendly, especially now. If you’re not gay-friendly, then you’re missing out on half the people who actually go out and spend money. It’s always something I’ve been delighted with. Cutting edge people understand what I’m talking about right out of the box, but it certainly doesn’t limit the audience coming out to see me. The whole drag queen thing has been going on for a very long time, so it’s nothing new. I’ve been around it since I started back in the 1970s. Straight people just got into it. It’s always been a really important part of entertainment culture and if you’re smart and you're with it, that’s part of it.

Any clue what you’ll be wearing?

Something groovy.