| 100% | MCQUEEN | 7 | "12 Years a Slave" director Steve or "Bullitt" star Steve (not the same person) |
| 62% | STEVEMCQUEEN | 12 | "Bullitt" star, or the director of "12 Years a Slave": 2 wds. |
| 51% | MCQUEEN | 7 | Steve __, artist and director of 12 Years a Slave |
| 49% | MCQUEEN | 7 | "12 Years a Slave" director Steve |
| 46% | STEVEMCQUEEN | 12 | "The Great Escape" actor [or] "12 Years a Slave" director |
| 40% | STEVE | 5 | "12 Years a Slave" director McQueen |
| 40% | CHIWETELEJIOFOR | 15 | Star of "12 Years a Slave" |
| 40% | EJIOFOR | 7 | “12 Years a Slave” star |
| 40% | LUPITANYONGO | 12 | "12 Years a Slave," 18-Across, and 32-Across star who was the first Kenyan-Mexican actress to win an Oscar (2 wds.) |
| 40% | MCQUEEN | 7 | Steve who directed "12 Years a Slave" |
| 39% | CLASSPET | 8 | Animal rarely cared for by the same people for more than a year |
| 38% | ARGO | 4 | Best Picture the year before "12 Years a Slave" |
| 38% | LUPITANYONGO | 12 | "12 Years a Slave" actress who debuted as pirate Maz Kanata in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens": 2 wds. |
| 37% | FOSSE | 5 | Director Bob who won a Tony, Oscar and Emmy all in the same year |
| 37% | ARGO | 4 | Best Picture winner the year before "12 Years a Slave" |
| 37% | CIVILIAN | 8 | A person not in the armed forces or police force |
| 37% | ARGO | 4 | Best Picture Oscar winner the year before "12 Years a Slave" |
| 36% | REPEATOFFENDERS | 15 | Recidivistic people ... or a hint to summoning the starred answers? |
| 36% | LUPITANYONGO | 12 | "12 Years a Slave" actress who wrote the children's book "Sulwe": 2 wds. |
| 36% | EJIOFOR | 7 | Actor Chiwetel who stars as 14-/18-Across in "12 Years a Slave" |
| 36% | SARAHPAULSON | 12 | "12 Years a Slave" actress who starred in "American Horror Story: Freak Show": 2 wds. |
| 35% | EARLYBIRD | 9 | Morning person, or a feature of the answer to each starred clue? |
| 35% | LUPITANYONGO | 12 | "12 Years a Slave" actress who was People's Most Beautiful Person in 2014: 2 wds. |
| 35% | DIF | 3 | "Not the same," for short (also, a starting to "-fuse" or "-ference") |
| 35% | SPACETRAVEL | 11 | Voyage by rocket … or a feature of the answers to the 12 starred clues? |
| 34% | YEAR | 4 | "A Good ___," 2006 film starring Russell Crowe ... or the conclusion to a New Year's wish |
| 33% | EXORCIST | 8 | "The ___," 1973 supernatural horror film adapted from a novel of the same name about the demonic possession of a 12 year old girl |
| 33% | NYONGO | 6 | Lupita, star of Us and Twelve Years a Slave |
| 33% | PEERS | 5 | People of the same age or status |
| 33% | LUPITANYONGO | 12 | "12 Years a Slave" actress who plays an MI6 operative in "The 355" (2 wds.) |