Journey into the Spotlight: Sandra Bernhard earned her success as an actress and comic

June 6, 1955

Bernhard was
born in Flint, MI to father Jerome Bernhard, a proctologist, and mother
Jeanette Bernhard, a painter.

1974

Living in
Los Angeles, Bernhard began working as a manicurist at the age of 19. During
this time, she became a regular at the famed West Hollywood comedy club, The
Comedy Store.

1977

At age 22,
Bernhard was casted as a supporting character on The
Richard Pryor Show.

1982

Bernhard was
given her “big break” when Martin Scorsese casted her as Masha in the film The King of Comedy.

1984

Sandra
Bernhard won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting
Actress for her role in The
King of Comedy.

1985

She began
performing her first one-woman comedy show called “I’m Your Woman”— an album
version was released as well.

1991

Bernhard
joined the cast of Roseanne,
playing the role of Nancy Bartlett. She appeared in 33 episodes between the
years of 1991 and 1997

Between 1991 and 1997

Bernhard
appears in 10 films and 12 television series including Ally McBeal and Clueless.

1997

Bernhard
begins performing her off-broadway comedy show, I’m
Still Here…

1998

I’m Still Here… moves to
Broadway.  She gives birth to her
daughter, Cicely Yasmin Bernhard, that same year. Additionally, I’m Still Here… is filmed
for an HBO Special and is released in 1999
becomes critically acclaimed.

Between 1998 and 2006

Bernhard
appears in 14 films including a cameo in Zoolander
(2001), releases seven music and comedy albums and appears in 10 television
series including Law and
Order: Special Victims Unit, Will & Grace and The Sopranos.

2002

Bernhard is
awarded with a GLAAD Media Award.

2006

The
Philadelphia Q Fest Award for artistic achievement is presented to Bernhard.

Between 2007 and 2013

Bernhard
appears in five films including 2013’s well-received,Diving Normal. She also appears in six
television series including Las
Vegas, Drop Dead Diva and American
Dad.

2014

Bernhard
garnered a role on ABC Family’s hit show, Switched
at Birth. That same year, she became a regular on Fox network’s popular
series,
Brooklyn Nine-Nine acting alongside Terry Crews and Adam Samberg.

2015

So far,
Bernhard has secured a role on CBS’s 2
Broke Girls.