| GETASTART | Begin work to hire American celebrity for lead in Transformers (3,1,5) |
| PASSALAW | Get through college with top mark, go to American city and begin work to do business of legislature (4,1,3) |
| SETOUT | Begin work to present material in an orderly way (3,3) |
| NEEDSTOSTART | Must begin work to sand street. (5,2,5) |
| AWKWAFINA | First Asian-American woman to win a Golden Globe for lead actress in a film |
| HEADLINER | American celebrity deceived about English vessel |
| CLEARCOLE | Rejecting lead, French school supports campaign for lead-free air? That's stuff glossed over |
| BEAARTHUR | Nine-time Emmy nominee for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series |
| PLUMBBOBS | From the Latin for "lead", weights of said element or other metal placed at the ends of lines for determining verticality or the depths of water (5,4) |
| BASEMETAL | Able teams fighting for lead, perhaps (4,5) |
| SATURNISM | Medical term for lead poisoning |
| PRINCIPALBOY | Headmaster finds child for lead in Peter Pan (9,3) |
| STRUT | Prop that's robust, right for lead in Othello (5) |
| HARRIETWALTER | Little time for lead in Hollywood, Merry War her real hit (7,6) |
| HAMLET | Minimal settlement for lead in drama |
| PHYLICIARASHAD | First Black performer to win a Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Play for A Raisin in the Sun in 2004: 2 wds. |
| FAN | Person who might ask a celebrity for a selfie |
| REDSTAR | Seeing this, get angry at celebrity for being associated with communism |
| GETCRACKING | Begin work in earnest |
| STARTIN | Begin work, though it isn't art |
