| 100% | ANAIS | 5 | Risque writer Nin, born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, who penned "Seduction of the Minotaur" in 1958 |
| 35% | MARKTWAIN | 9 | Pen name of the American writer born Samuel Clemens: 2 wds. |
| 33% | STAHL | 5 | Georg Ernst —, German scientist born in 1659 who developed the phlogiston theory of combustion |
| 32% | ARIE | 4 | NYC's "Mad" writer Kaplan who also penned "Masters of the Comic Book Universe Revealed!" |
| 32% | OSAKA | 5 | Tennis star Naomi who was born in the city of 3-Down |
| 32% | MUNGO | 5 | & 18D Scottish explorer born in 1771 who published the volume Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa |
| 32% | BRUCE | 5 | ___ Lee, legendary martial artist who was born in the fall month of November |
| 31% | JACKIEKENNEDY | 13 | Former First Lady of the United States who was born in July (2 wds.) |
| 31% | RICARDO | 7 | David —, British economist born in 1772 who authored The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation |
| 31% | PERRIE | 6 | ___ Edwards, singer and member of the girl group Little Mix, who was born in 1993 |
| 30% | STEPHENKING | 11 | Author born 9/21/1947 who penned the starts of 17-, 24-, 38- and 52-Across |
| 30% | TROYESIVAN | 10 | Singer of the 2015 hit "Youth" who was born in South Africa in 1995: 2 wds. |
| 30% | VICTORFLEMING | 13 | Director of the eight starred films in this puzzle, who was born on 2/23/1889 |
| 30% | SOMERVILLE | 10 | Mary —, member of the Royal Astronomical Society born in 1780 after whom — College, Oxford, is named |
| 30% | NORMANMAILER | 12 | Writer who coined the word "factoid" in his biography of Marilyn Monroe (2 wds.) |
| 30% | HENRY | 5 | ___ Miller, "Tropic of Cancer" writer who was Anais Nin's pen pal |
| 30% | MAGI | 4 | The —, sages in the Gospel of Matthew who visited Mary and Joseph shortly after Jesus was born |
| 30% | WILSON | 6 | Woodrow ___, 28th President of the U.S. and Nobel Peace Prize winner who was born in December |
| 30% | LEWISCARROLL | 12 | Writer who was the source of all the words with asterisked clues in this puzzle |
| 30% | VWOOLF | 6 | *Writer who penned the 1927 essay "The Art of Fiction" |
| 30% | DEB | 3 | Haaland who became secretary of the interior in 2021 |
| 30% | KURTVONNEGUT | 12 | American novelist in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame who was born in 1922 (2 wds.) |
| 30% | CHARLIESIFFORD | 14 | Color-barrier-breaking golfer in the World Golf Hall of Fame who was born in 1922 (2 wds.) |
| 30% | HENRYAARON | 10 | Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder born in Mobile, Alabama, who holds the record for most RBIs (2 wds.) |
| 29% | MANN | 4 | Singer Aimee who sang most of the songs in "Magnolia" |
| 29% | SIMU | 4 | Actor Liu who plays one of the Kens in "Barbie" |
| 29% | ONO | 3 | Artist Yoko who married one of the Beatles in 1969 |
| 29% | SIMU | 4 | Actor Liu who played one of the Kens in "Barbie" |
| 29% | CAGE | 4 | Nicolas ___, actor who played the role of two identical brothers facing a writer's block in the movie "Adaptation" |