| 100% | RENAS | 5 | Bitter who was the Ambassador to Laos until this year and Sofer who starred in TV's "Always and Forever" |
| 36% | ETHELWATERS | 11 | Harlem Renaissance singer and actress who was the first African American to star in her own TV show: 2 wds. |
| 34% | NICOLEKIDMAN | 12 | "Moulin Rouge!" and "The Hours" star who was the first Australian to win an Oscar for Best Actress and the first to be nominated in consecutive years (2 wds.) |
| 33% | CANDACEPARKER | 13 | Chicago Sky star who was named both WNBA Rookie of the Year and WNBA MVP in 2008: 2 wds. |
| 33% | RUDOLPH | 7 | Who's depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A |
| 32% | OLIN | 4 | Actor Ken, star of "Thirtysomething", who will return in the sequel announced early this year |
| 32% | CATEBLANCHETT | 13 | "Blue Jasmine" and "The Aviator" star who was the first Australian to win Oscars in two acting categories (2 wds.) |
| 32% | ARNESS | 6 | James who starred in 1970s TV's "How the West Was Won" |
| 31% | TINA | 4 | Fey of SNL and who starred in this year's "Wine Country" on Netflix |
| 31% | HERO | 4 | *Person who saves the day... and a word you may use to describe those being celebrated in this puzzle |
| 31% | STEFFIGRAF | 10 | Tennis player who is the only player (man or woman) to win a Grand Slam and Olympic gold medal in one year: 2 wds. |
| 31% | BOX | 3 | Container (and, in a way, what you will find outlined by this year's clues related to the mega-meta) |
| 31% | 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.) |
| 30% | STARR | 5 | Ringo —, musician and actor who starred in That'll Be the Day |
| 30% | FESSPARKER | 10 | Actor who starred in the title roles of TV's "Davy Crockett" and "Daniel Boone": 2 wds. |
| 30% | THEGUARDIANS | 12 | Persecuted and endangered journalists who were Time Magazine's Persons of the Year in 2018 (2 wds.) |
| 30% | OBAMA | 5 | Barack who was Time's Person of the Year in 2008 and 2012 |
| 30% | HUGHOBRIAN | 10 | Actor who starred in the title role of TV's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp": 2 wds. |
| 30% | BILLYBUSH | 9 | Former TV star who's contrite for his role in the "Access Hollywood" tape scandal, saying "I'm grateful to be a more conscientious person now": 2 wds. |
| 30% | REBECCA | 7 | * ___ Pearson, mother to Kevin, Kate, and Randall in the 2010s TV series "This Is Us" |
| 30% | FBIAGENTS | 9 | Govt. employees encoded by the nine other longest across entries in this puzzle ... and who might be called in to decode them |
| 30% | NOISE | 5 | Despite being inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, Radiohead still produces this, to many people |
| 29% | BARACKOBAMA | 11 | Political victor who was Time's Person of the Year in 2008 and 2012: 2 wds. |
| 29% | NEMO | 4 | Disney's clownfish who is lost in the ocean and trying to reunite with his father |
| 29% | SHOHEIOHTANI | 12 | Japanese MLB player who was the first player in history to be a pitcher and hitter in the All-Star Game, in 2021: 2 wds. |
| 29% | MAY | 3 | "To Whom It ___ Concern," 2016 film starring Wilmer Valderrama ... or the start of a New Year's wish highlighted in this puzzle |
| 29% | HUBIE | 5 | Brown who was NBA Coach of the Year in 1978 and 2004 |
| 29% | LEE | 3 | Jason who starred in TV's "My Name Is Earl" |
| 29% | DYE | 3 | Comedian Jeff ___, who was the "sidekick" to Shatner, Bradshaw, Foreman and Winkler in "Better Late Than Never " |
| 29% | BREAKINGBAD | 11 | #3 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time (as of 2016) ... and a hint to what the black squares are doing in four rows of this puzzle |