Press Snippets - Emmy Awards 2004
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In an upset Emmy victory, James Spader won U.S. television's highest award as best actor in a drama series on Sunday for his role as a lawyer on the final season of the ABC courtroom drama "The Practice." Spader, who now stars in the upcoming spinoff "Boston Legal," edged out last year's winner, James Gandolfini (news) of the HBO mob hit "The Sopranos," as well as Martin Sheen from NBC political drama "The West Wing," Kiefer Sutherland from the Fox espionage thriller "24" and CBS's "Without a Trace" star Anthony LaPaglia. Spader's triumph came on his first Emmy nomination ever.
© Reuters
In the night's biggest shocker, James Spader bested front-runner Gandolfini to claim the award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his quirky portrayal of Alan Shore on the final season of ABC's ``The Practice.''
(source)
Biggest upset? James Spader for his role as the unscrupulous lawyer on The Practice. The smart money was on James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) and Anthony La Paglia (Without a Trace).
 Dusty Saunders for insidedenver.com

JAMES SPADER, surprise Emmy winner for his lead role in "The Practice," was at work Monday in his new series "Boston Legal," which bows (on ABC) Oct. 3. When I asked what number seg he was working in, Spader laughed, "Three different episodes. David (E. Kelley) tweaks them, adding characters, weaving them in since the first one was shot." F'rinstance, he was working in a scene with Monica Potter who was added to the cast after the series started. Another addition is Rene Auberjonois (news). When I last spoke to Spader about his continuing role from the finale of "The Practice," he assured me it would continue to be "conflictive" in scenes with (fellow Emmy winner) William Shatner, "I'm Denny Craine." Spader was also delighted that Sharon Stone won for her "Practice" guestint, although he wished "Practice" guest nominee Betty White could have shared the win with Stone. Spader's on board for the full season, having admitted he thought "I didn't think I'd last five or six shows on 'The Practice'."
© Variety.com
Marion mom says Emmy won't change actor
By NANCY COOK, Standard-Times staff writer

KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/The Associated Press
James Spader accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series Sunday for his work on "The Practice" at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
MARION -- Actor James Spader was so surprised when he won an Emmy Sunday night that he forgot to thank his family.
Not that his mother, Jean Spader of Marion, plans to hold a grudge. "He called after midnight to say he was sorry for not mentioning his mom and sisters," Ms. Spader said yesterday from her home. She said he hadn't prepared an acceptance speech because he didn't expect to win. After all, it was his first nomination, and the competition in his category -- lead actor in a drama -- included the formidable James Gandolfini of the HBO series "The Sopranos" and Martin Sheen, who plays the president on "The West Wing." Mr. Spader, who won for his portrayal of lawyer Alan Shore on the ABC series "The Practice," is also known for his roles in films such as "Secretary," "sex, lies and videotape," "Wall Street" and "Pretty in Pink." He grew up in North Andover, where his father taught at a boarding school, the Brooks School. His mother taught kindergarten at a nearby private school. His family spent summers in Marion, where Mr. Spader worked at the Marion General Store and where everyone knew him as "Jimmy." When his parents retired to Marion, his father, Stoppard Spader who died in 1996, worked as a part-time copy editor for The Standard-Times. His mother, Jean Spader, still lives in the same house on a quiet wooded lane. Decorating her living room are plants, framed photos of grandchildren and a small picture in a plastic frame of her late husband and James, dressed in a T-shirt and pink shorts with his blond hair swept to one side. Mr. Spader returns to Marion in the summers when work permits, Ms. Spader said, because people in the town do not harass him -- they treat him like any other resident. "That's why he likes it," Ms. Spader said. "He likes to be here with his family," including his two sisters, who now live in Connecticut and New Jersey.
Mr. Spader has always wanted to be an actor, his mother said. "Everyone in the family is a good actor," she added. When the family lived at the Brooks School, Ms. Spader directed faculty plays and sometimes cast Mr. Spader's father.
This fall, Mr. Spader will star in his own television show "Boston Legal," a spinoff of "The Practice." Although Ms. Spader is proud of her son, she does not think his Emmy win will drastically alter his career. "James has never followed the path. He doesn't do the things he was supposed to," Ms. Spader added. "He's his own person."
This story appeared on Page A1 of The Standard-Times on September 22, 2004. (source)
New name?
Franklin's son, singer/songwriter Teddy Richards, opened for
her both nights and also is a featured guitarist in her band.
Hoipolloi in attendance: Clive Davis, KD Lang, Emmy-winning
actor James Spader, Royal Oak native and "Days of Our Lives"
actor Chad Randau and Tavis Smiley (newly dumped by Franklin's hometown NPR station WDET-FM, 101.9). He received birthday wishes from the Queen of Soul onstage. On night two, Natalie
Cole and Chaka Kahn attended.
[Ed:It seems his name is no longer "James Spader" but "Emmy winning actor James spader"] (source)

"I don't watch television."
-- Best Actor winner James Spader, when I asked him at the 56th Emmys what he was most embarrassed to watch on TV. How charming for all those tube watchers and actors he helped displace on The Practice, huh? (source)
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