Oscars 1983: Winners and Nominees of the 55th Academy Awards

The 55th Academy Awards were presented April 11, 1983, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor, and Walter Matthau. The awards were dominated by Best Picture winner Gandhi, which won eight awards out of its eleven nominations. Jessica Lange became the first performer in four decades to receive nominations in both acting categories in the same year, ultimately winning Best Supporting Actress for Tootsie. Meryl Streep, Best Actress winner for Sophie's Choice, became the sixth performer to win in both Lead and Supporting categories, just three years after winning Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer. Louis Gossett Jr. became the first African-American actor to win Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the tough and principled drill sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman. This marked the first of 28 consecutive years where a Barbara Walters interview special aired before the ceremony. Walters had previously aired an interview special in 1981 and, in subsequent years, her special aired prior to the Academy's formal broadcast of celebrities walking the red carpet. It was also the only time George C. Scott attended an Oscars ceremony. ()