In an upset - and something of an embarassment - "Boston Legal's" James Spader won his third Emmy as outstanding lead actor in a drama series, whacking such close competitors as James Gandolfini and 24's Kiefer Sutherland.
"I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob and they're all sitting right over there," a stunned Spader said, referring to the cast of "The Sopranos" in the audience.
Despite a lackluster third season of Boston Legal, the voters obviously have the luv for the devilish lawyer Alan Shore and his alter-ego, Jimmy Spader. But even he questions the win.
“I really thought anybody but myself,” Spader said later of the shocking win. “To be fair, everyone who was nominated was deserving but with it being James’ last season on ‘Sopranos’ and Hugh Laurie is due for one of these. And I told Kiefer (Sutherland) that I use him as an example as the hardest worker of all of us. He’s in every scene and every frame. It could’ve been anybody but me.”
Other big winners of the night included America Ferrera, Jeremy Piven and Katherine Heigl
America Ferrera took home the outstanding actress Emmy for a comedy series for her starring role in ABC's "Ugly Betty." She was a plump breath of fresh air in an evening full of too many skelator actresses (i.e., the entire cast of Desperate Housewives).
"It is truly an amazing, wonderful thing that happens when your dreams come true, and I just wish that for everybody, that they get to do what inspires them, inspires them to make a change in the world," she said.
Katherine Heigl was named outstanding supporting actress for her role as Dr. Isobel Stevens on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."
"My own mother told me I didn't have a shot of winning tonight so I really don't have anything prepared," Heigl said. "But she's a really big supporter. She does love me."
