| 100% | FRANKSMITH | 10 | "Dragnet" partner played by Herb Ellis and Ben Alexander (2 wds.) |
| 46% | BILLGANNON | 10 | "Dragnet" partner played by Harry Morgan (2 wds.) |
| 44% | LANEPRYCE | 9 | "Mad Men" junior partner played by Jared Harris: 2 wds. |
| 44% | JOANHARRIS | 10 | "Mad Men" junior partner played by Christina Hendricks: 2 wds. |
| 41% | JOANCLAYTON | 11 | Character played by Tracee Ellis Ross on 17-Across: 2 wds. |
| 41% | GEORGECOSTANZA | 14 | "Seinfeld" character played by Jason Alexander: 2 wds. |
| 40% | LEXLUTHOR | 9 | Superman nemesis played by Gene Hackman and Jesse Eisenberg: 2 wds. |
| 40% | RICHARDKIMBLE | 13 | Role played by 18- and 44-Across: 2 wds. |
| 39% | NEWTSCAMANDER | 13 | Character played by 15-Across in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them": 2 wds. |
| 39% | VITOCORLEONE | 12 | Mafia don played by both 14-Across and 28-Across in the "Godfather" franchise: 2 wds. |
| 37% | DWIGHTSCHRUTE | 13 | A character from "The Office" played by Rainn Wilson, who is the nemesis and eventual friend of 42a: 2 wds |
| 37% | JACKRYAN | 8 | CIA politico played by a Baldwin brother, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine (2 wds.) |
| 37% | PRINCECASPIAN | 13 | C.S. Lewis hero played by Ben Barnes in films (2 wds.) |
| 36% | BENSONDUBOIS | 12 | TV character played by Robert Guillaume in the 1970s and 1980s (2 wds.) |
| 36% | COSMOKRAMER | 11 | Character played by Michael Richards in "Seinfeld", who is 32-Across's neighbor and is often called a "hipster doofus": 2 wds. |
| 36% | MURPHYBROWN | 11 | CBS TV character with a colorful last name, played by Candice Bergen from 1988 to 1998 and 2018 to 2019: 2 wds. |
| 36% | SPANISHFLEA | 11 | 1966 "country" song by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass that's instrumental: 2 wds. |
| 35% | BENSONDUBOIS | 12 | TV character played by the late Robert Guillaume in the 1970s and 1980s (2 wds.) |
| 35% | ALFIESOLOMONS | 13 | "Peaky Blinders" character, played by Tom Hardy, who ran a distillery and was seen on the show from season 2 till 4: 2 wds. |
| 34% | EVAPERON | 8 | Argentine leader played by Patti LuPone and Madonna (2 wds.) |
| 34% | ALIG | 4 | Rapper played by Sacha Baron Cohen: 2 wds. |
| 34% | BENCARTWRIGHT | 13 | "Bonanza" patriarch, played by Lorne Greene: 2 wds. |
| 34% | COSMOKRAMER | 11 | "Seinfeld" character played by Michael Richards: 2 wds. |
| 34% | ALTOSAX | 7 | Jazz instrument played by Charlie Parker: 2 wds. |
| 34% | SNAPPERFOSTER | 13 | Role played by David Hasselhoff from 1975 to 1982 in the TV soap opera "The Young and the Restless," which helped him gain recognition: 2 wds. |
| 34% | CENTURYCYCLE | 12 | Series of 10 plays by 14-Across, including "Fences" and "The Piano Lesson," that chronicle life in Black America over a 100-year span: 2 wds. |
| 34% | WILLANDGRACE | 12 | Former sitcom duo played by 31- and 17-Across: 3 wds. |
| 34% | SAULGOODMAN | 11 | Crooked lawyer on "Breaking Bad" played by Bob Odenkirk: 2 wds. |
| 34% | HANKSCHRADER | 12 | DEA agent on "Breaking Bad" played by Dean Norris: 2 wds. |
| 34% | PRINCESSLEIA | 12 | Twin sister of 31-Across played by Carrie Fisher: 2 wds. |