| IMELDA | Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar nominee for Vera Drake (6,8) |
| STAUNTON | Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar nominee for Vera Drake (6,8) |
| IMELDASTAUNTON | Actress whose films include Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Vera Drake (6,8) |
| TRAVEL | Some TLC for Vera off on a journey (6) |
| PRIMA | Lead-in for vera or donna |
| RAVEABOUT | Show huge enthusiasm for Vera possibly (4,5) |
| LEIGH | Director whose many drama films include Vera Drake, Another Year, Mr Turner and Peterloo (5) |
| MIKELEIGH | ____ directed the films Vera Drake and Mr Turner |
| FACSIMILES | Exact reproductions for Vera |
| VERANDA | Cover for Vera with unusual DNA (7) |
| AUREVOIR | A nice farewell for Vera retiring around mid-January with a fair amount of 5 down (2,6) |
| GIRLSWANTGIRLS | Drake song that hit #2 in 2021: 3 wds. |
| FIVELEAVESLEFT | Nick Drake album, named for cigarette paper advice (4,6,4) |
| SUPERHEROMOVIE | 2008 action-comedy film starring Drake Bell and Sara Paxton |
| HOURSINSILENCE | 2022 Drake & 21 Savage hit with more than 6 minutes of rapid-fire rapping: 3 wds. |
| WHITEWATERRAPS | Ditties done by Drake while river rafting? |
| RIZAHMED | Actor who played Carlton Drake a.k.a. Riot in the action film Venom (3,5) |
| GOLDENHIND | Drake, or hen sadly in depth, at sea in this! (6,4) |
| OVERSHOE | Bowling where Drake did for protection in the mud? (8) |
| NICE | "___ for What" (2018 No. 1 hit for Drake) |
