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Sandra Bernhard wastes no time inThe King of Comedy.
Similarly, Masha demands from Jerry the attention she isnt receiving from the world around her.
Neither of them seems to have a job, which leaves ample time to stalk Jerry until theyre satiated.
I dont think people know what that word means.
This was only your second film.
Everyone I knew had been up for it.
She said, Sandra, youre so right for this role.
Then I set up my own audition.
I went in and met Cis Corman, who was really nice.
I did some of the script and then I improvised.
She looked at me and said, I think you better meet with Marty.
So the next day, I went back and met with Marty.
They seemed to be really excited.
So I flew in and had my crazy meeting with Jerry.
Hes not easy but fascinating.
The next day, Cis Corman called me in my hotel room and said Id gotten the role.
I was over the moon.
Yousaidwhen the movie came out that you felt you wrote about 50 percent of the part yourself.
Tell me about your act at that time.
My whole thing was Im not going to be one more woman who puts herself down.
Why would I put myself down when I just came out of the whole feminist movement?
So that was where I was coming from.
Thats an interesting thread to think about in terms of Masha.
Before Scorsese was involved, Bob Fosse had considered directing it.
According to the internet, he first suggested you for the role.
I got to meet with John Cassavetes there was just never a role that was right.
Marty never mentioned anything about that, and Id never heard that before, but how fascinating.
I never met Bob Fosse.
Thats a new twist Ive never heard, so thats fun.
It was really last minute.
But they saw500 actressesfor it Meryl Streep and Debra Winger.
Everybody wanted it because it was such an unusual role.
You just didnt see roles like that for women back then.
It had more of an indie-film vibe to it in a certain way.
Its obvious no one else could have done it.
Did you do anything like that?No.
Imsonot a Method actress.
Theres so much for me to draw on constantly from my own life.
Im very much in the moment.
Im out in the world.
When I hang up, Im going to Whole Foods to go shopping.
I go to the post office; I go to the bank to deposit checks.
And Ive always been that person.
When I have a car, I pump my own gas.
Ive never had a full-time assistant.
I like to bein it.
One of your co-stars was doing this transformative Method stuff, and the other was this famously difficult personality.
Was it an intense shoot for you?No, not at all.
I couldnt have had more fun.
Marty was wonderful, and I think he was tickled by me.
It was a breath of fresh air for him.
Whenever things got a little crazy with Jerry, he stepped in.
It was never anything that was going to put me over the edge or trigger me.
People didnt get triggered back then you just worked through it.
Hes a legend and an icon and a freak, and I love him.
He had never been subjected to a woman controlling him and telling him what to do.
That really wasnt rehearsed.
I just did my thing.
Marty would laugh, and Jerry would squirm.
We did it several times, and it was just crazy and fun and glamorous and amazing.
There wasnt one moment working on that film where I thought,This is too much for me.
I wish I remembered exactly where it was, but that house was amazing.
I dont know how they got it.
I was like, No, I cannot do that.
He kept trying to convince me and show me how.
I am not going to risk my life and health for that.
So eventually it was just me up against a wall and I just fell into a pad.
I was in my bra and panties in high heels.
I was very skinny, and I dont do stunt comedy.
He was onPercodanhalf his life because he cracked his back from doing stunts.
I was like, you could do all you want, thats not going to be me.
But that was the only funny, weird moment where it was like, Marty, help!
I think he kind of liked the idea.
He would let Jerry quote-unquote direct a little bit to appease him.
But that was where I drew the line.
Marty knew that was asking way too much of me.
He said I had fish lips.
Basically, he was saying I was unattractive.
I said to Marty, Thats fucked up.
So I think Marty went to Jerry and said, Maybe you should apologize.
He left me a handwritten apology on a yellow legal-pad note.
It basically said, Youre a wonderful actress, youre funny, whatever.
Unfortunately, I dont remember where I put it.
It was really cool that he wrote it.
The whole thing is just funny and weird.
And the guys whoyell at Masha in the streetare from the Clash.
I guess they were just around, and they were invited to do the scene.
It was in front ofColony Records,which was so amazing.
They were taunting me: Street trash!
That was a really fun day of shooting.
It was a superhot summer day.
We did it over and over again.
You couldnt find that authenticity now for love or money.
Did you party with the Clash after the shoot?I dont think so.
They went their own way, and I went back and crashed.
It was a hot, hot day.
To me, shes one of those bright stars in the sky.
Shes just one of the most talented people on the planet.
Unfortunately,The King of Comedywasnt a big hit when it came out.
Was there talk at the time of doing some kind of campaign?
Campaigns didnt look as dramatic then as they do now.No.
They just didnt do that.
Again, it was a more authentic time.
It should have come out a lot sooner.
It was shot in 81 and didnt come out until 83.
Had it come out in 82, I think it would have had a different reaction.
The studio wasnt behind it.
That was the problem.
You make a movie with Scorsese and De Niro.
I segued into another movie that was supposed to be a satire about the ad business calledBeer.
Then we got halfway through shooting, and it fell apart.
I got replaced by Loretta Swit.
But then it never came out anyway.
The script was terrible.
The director had directed commercials, but hed never directed a feature film.
As a matter of fact, Rip Torn was in it.
But we hit it off.
I loved working with him.
Now I see why films dont work.
But yes, I was definitely pursuing films and television.
There werent enough of those kinds of interesting roles for someone like me back then.
Look at the films that got made.
Women that were cast had to be sexy or docile.
Thats whyKing of Comedywas such an anomaly.
Youd never seen a role like that for a woman, basically.
Maybe back in the 20s and 30s with Carole Lombard or Katharine Hepburn.
Or in Cassavetes movies, like Gena Rowlandss roles.Exactly.
But he had Gena Rowlands, so he wasnt going to cast me in a role like Gena Rowlands.
Now, between television and film, there are endless roles I can step into and do my thing.
Is it true you were offered Annie Pottss role inGhostbusters?Yeah.
I stupidly did not do that.
I just didnt think the role was big enough.
My manager at the time didnt have the chops to guide me and give me good advice.
It was so much more violent and crazy.
I dont really feel it was the same at all.
It was much more tragic and dark.King of Comedywas dark, but it was a satire.
What I lovedaboutKing of Comedyis that it was shot in order.
That was so glamorous to me.
I was so, so skinny back then, and I wore that little outfit very proudly.
It was ill defined she lives in this incredible apartment, but you never saw her parents.
We never learn exactly why shes so wealthy.No, its just because her parents are.
You dont have any idea, which I actually love.
Shes just a crazy, rich New York nut.
