| 100% | STANFORD | 8 | ___ University, located in California, that played a major role in the establishment of the Silicon Valley |
| 41% | NATO | 4 | An alliance between American and European forces, that played a big part in the occupation of Afghanistan: Abbr |
| 40% | PIMP | 4 | 50 Cent hit with an instrumental cover that plays a prominent role in “Anatomy of a Fall” |
| 40% | BRETTON | 7 | & 25A Venue in New Hampshire, US, of a 1944 conference that resulted in the establishment of the World Bank |
| 39% | PAULSCHNEIDER | 13 | Actor who played the role of Mark Brendanawicz in "Parks and Recreation", a character that appeared only in the first two seasons: 2 wds. |
| 39% | ADO | 3 | Word meaning "excitement" that's in the title of a Shakespeare play |
| 39% | SCARLETT | 8 | "The Avengers" actress ___ Johansson who plays the role of Major Kusanagi in the "Ghost in the Shell" movie |
| 38% | HORATIO | 7 | University friend of Hamlet in the William Shakespeare play of that name |
| 38% | MARTINSTARR | 11 | Actor from "Freaks and Geeks", who plays the role of Bertram Gilfoyle in "Silicon Valley": 2 wds. |
| 38% | ALTO | 4 | Palo ___, Californian city that is a part of the Silicon Valley |
| 38% | DEAN | 4 | Position of the role that John Vernon played in "Animal House" |
| 37% | TAHOE | 5 | California freshwater lake with a name that translates to "edge of the lake" in Washoe |
| 37% | JOSE | 4 | San ___, Silicon Valley city in California... or the capital city of Costa Rica |
| 37% | DEMONSLAIR | 10 | Role-playing game that takes place in the world of Terrania |
| 37% | NIL | 3 | Nothing that plays a prominent role in this puzzle |
| 36% | COLUMBIA | 8 | ___ University, located in Upper Manhattan, which is a member of the Ivy league and has a crown in their logo |
| 36% | THYMUS | 6 | Gland that plays a key role in T cell maturation |
| 36% | STAR | 4 | Play a major role, as in a film |
| 36% | WILLY | 5 | With 35-Across, the lead role in Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" |
| 36% | BETTERCALLSAUL | 14 | Crime drama set in Arizona and Nebraska that featured Carol Burnett in a recurring role as the mother of a con man (3 wds.) |
| 36% | VALLEY | 6 | Silicon ___, tech hub in Northern California that houses some of the world's largest tech companies and startups |
| 36% | SIRED | 5 | Had a role in the production of? |
| 36% | PERSEIDS | 8 | Name of a major 14-Across that peaks early in the week of August 12, 2019 |
| 36% | REEVES | 6 | Steve who played the title role of Hercules in a 1959 film |
| 36% | GEORGEMASON | 11 | University that scored a string of huge upsets in 2006 when it reached the NCAA Final Four: 2 wds. |
| 35% | TMC | 3 | Run ___ (nickname of a star trio that played for the Golden State Warriors in the early '90s) |
| 35% | CALLUMTURNER | 12 | "Fantastic Beasts" actor who plays a University of Washington rower in "The Boys in the Boat" (2 wds.) |
| 35% | MAINE | 5 | Submarine that played a major part of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novel "The Sum of All Fears" |
| 35% | BEN | 3 | Actor Gazzara who played the title role of 15-Across in a 1975 film |