BY GREG HERNANDEZ > LA.COM

Ruby Dee was in town this week for the Oscar nominees luncheon at the Beverly Hilton hotel but almost missed the opportunity to celebrate her nod for "American Gangster."

"We were waiting for a long time at the wrong hotel, at the Bel-Air Hotel," she said, chuckling.

"I enjoyed it so much. This was my first time being at such a luncheon and seeing all those people. Michael Moore was at our table, and I so enjoyed talking to him and, of course, George Clooney. So many people who I didn't think knew me."

I spoke with the 83-year-old actress, author and civil rights activist by phone Wednesday from her home in New York. She talked about what it is like, after more than 60 years of making movies, to be at the center of awards season buzz.

"It's really exciting and I'm seasoned enough now to be able to relax and enjoy this attention," she said. "It's kind of rewarding and satisfying knowing that you aren't existing in a vacuum. It's like getting a bouquet while you can still smell the flowers."

Ruby won the supporting actress prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards a few weeks ago, a surprise victory that greatly enhances her chance of winning the Academy Award.

It's something that this pioneer in African-American theater and films … her credits include "A Raisin in the Sun," "The Incident," "Up Tight," "The Jackie Robinson Story," "Do the Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever" … never thought would happen.

"When I was younger, I had these dreams like a kid in the candy store with my nose pressed against the glass," she said. "When it doesn't happen for you and nobody like you is getting these things, the laws of diminishing returns sets in. There's something about racism that undercuts self-expectation, especially in the height of your expectation days."

Until Halle Berry in 2002, no African-American actress had ever won the best actress Oscar. So far only three … Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Hudson … have won in the supporting category.

For Ruby, it's been quite a ride recently … especially following her Grammy win a year ago in the spoken word category for the recording of her and late husband Ossie Davis' joint autobiography "Ossie & Ruby: In This Life Together."

She will receive the Chairman's Award given for special achievement and distinguished public service at next week's NAACP Image Awards and is also a nominee for "Gangster."

"The [awards] scene in California is something else," she said. "It's like Christmas, New Year's and Easter all rolled into one for the actors."

The writers strike, still unsettled, has cast a shadow over this year's Oscars scheduled for Feb. 24.

"I'm expecting to go and I would like to go," Ruby said. "But I'm a longtime supporter of unions and I'm a WGA member. I wouldn't cross a picket line."

Since the death of Ossie Davis in 2005, she has been working nonstop. In addition to "Gangster," she has roles in the independent films "Steam," "All About Us" and "For No. 2" already completed.

"I've done so much work since my husband's been gone, I think he's up there doing publicity for me."

Delta Burke seeking more effective treatment
Sending good thoughts out to the wonderful actress Delta Burke, who is apparently seeking treatment for symptoms of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"I was on so many medications and they just weren't working," Burke told TMZ. "I was on five." Among them, she says are "anti-depressants and stuff."

Delta, twice nominated for an Emmy for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker on "Designing Women," most recently appeared in the film "Bridal Fever," which aired on the Hallmark Channel Saturday.

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Read more celebrity news by Greg Hernandez at Out in Hollywood and Hollywood Joe.

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Photos of Ruby Dee by David Livingston and Delta Burke by Marianne Todd, both from Getty Images.