Since Sandra Bernhard started her career doing stand-up comedy in the '70s, she's constantly been pushing the boundaries, and she's never shied away from controversial pop culture or political topics. So it's not surprising that she'd be drawn to a not-so-politically-correct show like "GCB." In a recent exclusive interview, she described her upcoming role on the series' season finale and working with the "GCB" cast.
Sandra Bernhard Describes Her 'GCB' Role.
Bernhard described her guest starring role on the show, "I play a fierce, Jewish, eco-terrorist named Debbie Horowitz. When she gets wind of the belles trying to build a Christian condo-project down in sacred native territory in Mexico, (she) puts a stop to it and kidnaps the girls and holds them hostage in a tin shed in the middle of the Mexican desert and tortures them until they sign a release. No it's really not torture, but it's supposed to be."
Sandra Bernhard Loves the Writing on 'GCB' and Cast.
Bernhard is a comedy legend in her own right for her one-woman shows and appearances in films like "The King of Comedy" and series like "Rosanne." But she was quick to lavish "GCB" with praise, saying of her part, "It's super funny, tongue-in-cheek, brilliant in keeping with the show. It's some of the best writing I've seen in years."
She described the show's brand of humor, adding, "It's hard to fully describe what it is. It's satire. It's irony. It's really telling you the truth without beating you over the head. It's all there, but it's really, really smart and really funny and fast and furious."
As a result Bernhard, who has built a career writing vehicles that showcase her talents, didn't have to enhance the "GCB" script with material of her own. She revealed, "Sometimes you have to improv because you need to fill it out. But this was a situation where I came in knowing what the scene was already, and I had no need to touch it. They bumped it up a little bit after I accepted it. But everything was on the page, and that is rare and wonderful when that happens. Because good writing is almost a lost art these days."
So is good casting, and Bernhard confessed that she had a blast working with the "GCB" belles. She recalled, "We had so much fun. The girls were amazing. Kristin Chenoweth and I had the main bulk of the scene together so it was a hoot and a holler."
Sandra Bernhard's Wardrobe Helped Her Get into the Right Headspace on 'GCB.'
The final piece of the puzzle that helped Bernhard really get into the right headspace for her role on "GCB" was all in the attire. She explained, "The minute I got there, I went into my wardrobe fitting, and the costume people were unbelievable. They pulled together this hysterical outfit. My huaraches and military pants and hippie pants and a Mexican top and guns and knives and big jewelry. It was just a hoot. They really got the character and that helped me get into the whole mood."
All of those elements combined helped make her time on the "GCB" set all the more enjoyable. Bernhard recounted, "It was a long day of shooting. It was a full day, 12 hours. And the girls had just come in from shooting out in the desert. We shot on a sound stage. And everybody was in great spirits, and we had a ball. It was fabulous. I didn't want it to end."
Catch Sandra Bernhard on the season finale on "GCB" this Sunday, May 6 at 10pm EST/9pm CST on ABC.
More From This Contributor:
Exclusive Interview: Eden Sher Welcomes Whoopi Goldberg to 'The Middle'
Eddie Izzard Has an Unlikely Inspiration for 'Treasure Island'
'Around the World in 80 Plates': The Best of All Reality TV Combined in One Tasty Dish
