| 100% | SPONGEBOB | 9 | With 39-Across, Bikini Bottom fry cook who made his TV debut on May 1, 1999 |
| 28% | SPONGEBOB | 9 | TV toon who’s a fry cook at Bikini Bottom’s Krusty Krab |
| 28% | JOHN | 4 | ___ Travolta, "Grease" actor who made his debut on Broadway before achieving Hollywood fame |
| 28% | SERLING | 7 | Whom Spielberg made his directing debut with |
| 28% | DEPP | 4 | Johnny who made his film debut in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" |
| 27% | TYLER | 5 | Jesse ___ Ferguson, "Modern Family" star who made his debut on Broadway before achieving Hollywood fame |
| 27% | SPONGEBOB | 9 | Bikini Bottom fry cook |
| 27% | EARL | 4 | James ___ Jones, "The Lion King" actor who made his debut on Broadway before achieving Hollywood fame |
| 26% | SEANPENN | 8 | Oscar winner who made his debut in an episode of Little House on the Prairie directed by his father |
| 26% | JUSTIN | 6 | With 39-Across, "Peaches" singer who performs on 31-Across |
| 25% | STUART | 6 | With 34-Across, E.B. White's kid-lit mouse, who made his big-screen debut in 1999 |
| 25% | BREAKING | 8 | With 54-Across, TV drama where 36-Across made his debut |
| 24% | WORKMAN | 7 | One who makes his living with his hands |
| 24% | SPONGEBOB | 9 | Bikini Bottom's enthusiastic fry cook |
| 24% | ARTHUR | 6 | With 39-Across, "The Crucible" playwright who was blacklisted for his leftist views in the Joseph McCarthy period |
| 23% | CLOONEY | 7 | George, who made his name as Doug Ross on ER |
| 23% | EZRA | 4 | ___ Miller, an actor who made his debut in the film "Afterschool" |
| 23% | DOOM | 4 | Doctor ___, Marvel's supervillain who made his debut in "Fantastic Four" |
| 23% | ICET | 4 | Actor who made his film debut in "Breakin'," 1984 |
| 23% | DOCTOR | 6 | Who on TV, with "the" |
| 23% | THEJOLLY | 8 | Mascot who made his Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in 2017 |
| 23% | EDASNER | 7 | Actor who made his film debut in "Kid Galahad," 1962 |
| 23% | SETHMACFARLANE | 14 | Actor who starred in and made his directorial debut with 2012's "Ted": 2 wds. |
| 23% | GEORGESMILEY | 12 | Long-running fictional hero who made his debut in "Call for the Dead" |
| 22% | BRETTFAVRE | 10 | Retired NFL player (birthday today) who made his name with 40-Across and is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks: 2 wds. |
| 22% | BILLYPRESTON | 12 | Singer who sang with Nat King Cole on a TV show at 11 and released his first album at 16: 2 wds. |
| 22% | CHER | 4 | Singer who made a comeback in 1999 with "Believe" |
| 22% | CURIOUSGEORGE | 13 | H.A. Rey monkey who made his big-screen debut in 2006 (2 wds.) |
| 22% | PATEL | 5 | Actor Dev who made his film debut in "Slumdog Millionaire" |
| 22% | CURIOUSGEORGE | 13 | The Reys' kid-lit monkey, who made his big-screen debut in 2006: 2 wds. |