Sandra Bernhard, conservative investor
By Larry Getlen • Bankrate.com

Sandra Bernhard has had the type of entertainment career that could be very difficult to describe to someone unfamiliar with her, for the answer to the question, "What does she do?" is "Everything."

The daughter of a proctologist and an abstract artist, the Flint, Mich., native started her career as a stand-up comedian while still in her late teens, and gained a name for herself with her quick and biting wit. But her career took an interesting turn in 1983, when Martin Scorsese featured her as the demented kidnapper in "The King of Comedy," a part that earned her Best Supporting Actress honors from the National Society of Film Critics. Since then, Bernhard has also appeared in films such as "Track 29," "Unzipped," "Truth or Dare" and "Hudson Hawk."

Her repertoire expanded to include singing in 1985 with the release of her first album, "I'm Your Woman." She published her first book, "Confessions of a Pretty Lady," in 1987, and performed her first one-woman show, "Without You I'm Nothing," in 1988. And she has done quite a few more of each of these things since. When she appeared on the hit TV comedy "Roseanne" 1991, beginning what would become a five-year stint as the character Nancy, she cemented herself as a permanent presence in many American homes.

Bernhard, now the mother of a 4-year-old daughter, is currently touring a new show, "An Evening With Sandra Bernhard," which includes comedy, music and her outspoken reflections on post-Sept. 11 America. Bernhard took a moment out of preparing for her show to speak with Bankrate about the business side of her life.

Bankrate: So what do you think of the Bush tax-cut plan?

Bernhard: From a selfish standpoint, yeah, great, bring it on. But for someone who doesn't think that way, I don't think it's good. I think it serves a certain segment of the population, and it's just more cynicism on the part of our government right now.

Bankrate: Are you invested in the market at all?

Bernhard: I was in the market until last June, when my business manager pulled me out of it before everything crashed and burned. I did very well, when the market was happening, but I never got involved with NASDAQ.

Bankrate: What did you get involved in?

Bernhard: It was an extremely diverse portfolio, I couldn't even tell you. It was constantly changing. Just one of those portfolios that dipped into everything.

Bankrate: Were you heavily involved in deciding what you invested in, or did you rely on others for that?

Bernhard: No, I'm not that interested in the market. I'm not that savvy in sitting and studying it. I had people I trusted who did very well by me. That's as involved as I was, just to make sure the money was actually growing, which it did.

Bankrate: Do you know of any investments that did particularly well or particularly poorly for you?

Bernhard: I've had some investments in Las Vegas real estate. Some has done extremely well, and some just tanked. But, overall, I still have investments there that have done OK.

Bankrate: Residential or commercial?

Bernhard: Commercial.

Bankrate: So are we going to see the Sandra Bernhard Casino at some point?

Bernhard: Oh no. These are just limited partnerships. Strip malls, gas stations, that kind of thing.

Bankrate: What do you base your investment decisions on?

Bernhard: My business manager brings me things, and I trust his opinions. He's very conservative, and he knows I'm conservative, so we just talk about stuff. We weigh the options, and he's done right by me. It doesn't always work out, but that's the way it goes.

Bankrate: With all the different things you do, what's the most lucrative aspect of your business?

Bernhard: It varies, but my live performing is my base. And depending on year to year, I may do some sort of commercial thing. Last year I did a Mac commercial, kind of an in-store thing that was very lucrative. Sometimes there's TV stuff, you never know. It's very eclectic. Could be some voice-over work, or TV, or some film piece.

Bankrate: Now that you're a mom, have you taken any special steps to protect your financial future?

Bernhard: No more than I always do. I just try to keep it on the straight and narrow, and I don't indulge in things I don't really need.

-- Posted: Jan. 22, 2003