Of the many winners that star-spangled night, we decided to profile six Emmy winners. These are faces Indian television viewers are familiar with, considering their shows air on our networks. From Everybody Loves Raymond and Monk, to Boston Legal and Desperate Housewives, the champions are...

Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, Boston Legal

Born on February 7, 1960, in Massachusetts, Spader dropped out of school in the eleventh grade. He waited on tables, shovelled manure, and even taught yoga before landing his first roles on TV. Movies came next, with his performance in Sex, Lies, and Videotape winning him a Best Actor award at Cannes in 1989.

Spader also appeared with Maggie Gyllenhaal in the critically acclaimed Secretary, which won the 2002 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Originality. Incidentally, he has poor eyesight and can't wear contact lenses. So, while playing roles without spectacles, he says he can barely make out the face of the actor in front of him. He does play the role of Alan Shore in Boston Legal to perfection though.

Photographs: Getty Images | Design: Uday Kuckian