| 100% | FRIEDKIN | 8 | William who directed The Exorcist in 1973 |
| 47% | JASONPRIESTLEY | 14 | TV star who directed the 1999 documentary "Barenaked in America" |
| 45% | WEIR | 4 | Peter who directed Robin WIlliams in "Dead Poets Society" |
| 44% | LAURIE | 6 | "House" lead actor Hugh, who directed the episode "Lockdown" in the show's 6th season |
| 44% | ELIA | 4 | Kazan who directed Brando as Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront" |
| 44% | KELSEY | 6 | "Frasier" lead actor Grammer, who directed the episode "Three Valentines" in the show's 6th season |
| 43% | TED | 3 | Williams who was the last MLB player to hit over .400 in a season |
| 43% | TED | 3 | Williams who was the last major leaguer to bat over .400 in a season |
| 43% | WELD | 4 | Former governor William who ran in the Republican presidential primaries in 2020 |
| 43% | BLIGH | 5 | William —, commander of the HMS Bounty who died in 1817 |
| 42% | ARA | 3 | Coach who defeated Bear in the 1973 Sugar Bowl |
| 42% | KENNETHBRANAGH | 14 | Actor who directed and played the title character in 1996's "Hamlet": 2 wds. |
| 42% | JESSE | 5 | Actor Williams who plays Debbie Allen's son in the show mentioned in 26a |
| 41% | PAM | 3 | ___ Grier, American action star who featured in the 1973 movie "Coffy" |
| 41% | MACDUFF | 7 | Character who kills Macbeth in the William Shakespeare play of that name |
| 41% | PATRICK | 7 | ___ Fugit, actor who played William Miller in the comedy-drama "Almost Famous" |
| 40% | INGE | 4 | William who won an Oscar in '61 for Best Screenplay for "Splendor in the Grass" |
| 40% | TED | 3 | Slugger Williams who was the last MLB player to bat over .400 in one season |
| 40% | HINES | 5 | Gregory —, US actor who played Sandman Williams in 1984 drama The Cotton Club |
| 40% | ROTH | 4 | Eli who directed "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" |
| 40% | JEWISON | 7 | Norman who directed "In the Heat of the Night" |
| 40% | IDA | 3 | Lupino who directed and co-starred in "The Bigamist" |
| 39% | BAFFIN | 6 | William —, 17th-century navigator after whom — Bay in the Northwest Passage west of Greenland is named |
| 39% | TAFT | 4 | William Howard ___, 27th President of the United States after whom a city in California is named |
| 39% | CAMPION | 7 | Jane who directed The Piano |
| 39% | STEWART | 7 | Jon ___, "The Daily Show" host who studied psychology in the College of William & Mary |
| 39% | ANTOINEFUQUA | 12 | 14-Across and 27-Across director who directed music videos for Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Coolio in the 1990s |
| 39% | LEDUCTHO | 8 | Vietnamese revolutionary who refused the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 |
| 39% | BAY | 3 | Michael who directed the "Transformers" films |
| 39% | WES | 3 | Craven who directed the "Scream" films |