Sandra Bernhard: ‘Pose’ recalls horror of early days of AIDS

Pose | Tuesday, 10 p.m., FX

There’s a good reason why Sandra Bernhard was upped to a series regular as nurse Judy Kubrak in the second season of “Pose,” the FX drama about the underground LGBTQ ballroom scene of the 1980s and ’90s. “Nurse Judy is there to serve as a conduit between the characters who are starting to show HIV-positive status — and to do something about it,” she said. “She becomes a friend to them as well as a medical advocate.” The show, which has been renewed for a third season, is addressing the epidemic because “it’s the reality of the time,” she added, but it won’t always be easy. In the season’s second episode Judy convinced Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) to take the antiretroviral HIV medication AZT, but Pray Tell (Billy Porter) remains resistant to treatment.

Bernhard, who turned 64 on June 6, recently spoke with The Post about Judy’s passion, performing during the early days of the AIDS crisis and the show’s message for young viewers.

Could you describe Judy?
Judy is tough. She’s in the trenches and yet very vulnerable and loving towards her patients and the people she deals with in the ragged hospital corridors. She wants to find a way to get them through it and not have them die, but she sees that every day.

What does that mean for her patients?
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Really, it’s a wake-up call. There is a sense of naiveté and innocence to all of them. When it came to their own health and this crisis, they weren’t really looking at it or dealing with it in a mature way. Judy is that adult who grabs them all, gathers them up and gets them to a place where they have to face it and start taking care of themselves. She has a real big sense of responsibility.

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You were a performer during the early days of the AIDS crisis. What do you most remember about it?
I lost many friends. I saw what it did close-up. And yet there was also a great sense of partying and exuberance and creativity from every aspect of the city, whether from the art world or theater world or dance-music world. There was still a sense of sexual freedom, even though there was a fear. There was a lot of conflict, internally, on people’s parts at that time.

Are you channeling people you knew into Judy?
It’s an amalgam of people that I witnessed dealing with the crisis at the time, having gone to hospitals and seeing health workers just being incredibly professional and brave at a time when nobody was sure what might happen to them. People in those positions go and do what they’ve gotta do. It’s a real testament to those people and I keep them in the back of my mind when I’m doing those scenes.

What message does the show have for younger viewers who weren’t around during the early days of AIDS?
It’s a reminder for [older] people and it’s an awareness for others who have no idea what people went through, how many people the disease decimated, how many great artists were lost. When you have a new generation of kids who think that you can take a daily pill to prevent themselves from getting it, it’s a reminder also to be mindful and thoughtful about your own body and how to take care of yourself, because health is not a guarantee for anyone.
— Eric Hegedüs

And here’s what else to watch this week:

Yellowstone | Wednesday, 10 p.m., Paramount

Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Rip (Cole Hauser) face each other; Beth (Kelly Reilly) starts to purchase land around the ranch; Monica (Kelsey Asbille) starts at the university. With Kevin Costner.

The Hills | Monday, 10 p.m., MTV

Season premiere. Here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: to catch up with some of the most witless people to walk across a TV screen: Mischa Barton and Brandon Thomas Lee will join original cast members Audrina Patridge, Brody Jenner, Frankie Delgado, Heidi Pratt, Jason Wahler, Spencer Pratt, Stephanie Pratt and Whitney Port.

City on a Hill | Sunday, 9 p.m., Showtime

DeCourcy (Aldis Hodge) discovers that he has a powerful enemy in town. Jackie (Kevin Bacon) stirs up trouble at home with his wife (Jill Hennessy) and mother-in-law (Catherine Wolf).

Grand Hotel | Monday, 10 p.m., ABC

Gigi (Roselyn Sanchez) attempts to step in to save the Riviera Grand hotel after El Rey’s (Jencarlos Canela) performance gets out of control. Meanwhile, Danny’s (Lincoln Younes) cover is blown by one of the hotel staffers.

Big Little Lies | Sunday, 9 p.m., HBO

Mary Louise (Meryl Streep) tries to get closer to Jane (Shailene Woodley), with shocking results. Meanwhile, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) is forced to confront her issues at a couples therapy session with Dr. Reisman (Robin Weigert).

Legion | Monday, 10 p.m., FX

Season premiere. Last season’s finale saw David (Dan Stevens) take on the Shadow King (Navid Negahban) before Syd (Rachel Keller) revealed to David that a future version of himself would one day destroy the world. David and Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) also took off, entering into a state of nothingness. This year, David gains a following.

Highwire Live in Times Square With Nik Wallenda | Sunday, 8 p.m., ABC

Siblings Nik and Lijana Wallenda attempt a high-wire walk across New York’s Times Square, from different points. Sounds crazy, but Wallenda did cross the Grand Canyon several years ago, so no fear there. Michael Strahan is the host.