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Oh yes. Thanks Nodrog. I was thinking of something more combative. Which, as a Child actor, he was.

Finally finished at third or fourth sitting but it went in quickly once I realise how the two long thematics work. Thanks to Paul for a teasing but ultimately satisfying puzzle.

Enjoyed this as really like a theme as reminds us of Araucaria. Thought it was good that you could get the answers but still not the theme so it was quite challenging. Then great when you have the Eureka moment. Solving it by parsing a bit boring by comparison. But now I realise there were 3 anagrams all with wording linked to the answer, think the clue is pretty good.

Good fun, nice theme, challenging but not impossible.

A very tough one 7 clues to go

A hint for 8 10 & 23 would be appreciated.

For 3 d my letters are I I & N

And a hint for 6 down

But it’s enjoyable

paulrt

You are not alone

26/27 was my last solve because, like you I persisted with "usual" as the answer for 26. The penny eventually dropped and then the anagram was solvable.

If my 26 across is right it is also the first name of a novelist

(8,10,24): the opening 5 is an actor (actress) who was only (26,27). The (3,2,5) is "unable to light up, though".
The entire phrase is an American slang term for "just not winning".

That's the clue that revealed the theme to me.

Thanks Geeker that helps

Hi everyone

You won't be surprised that I'm finding it tough - no idea what 26/27 is yet. Four answers on first read through, including 23d.

Birder, it was only when I thought of my cat that I got the second definition.

I've read the thread so will pick over the hints to see if I can get a few more ans wait for the PDM.

I had the second letter of 26 and really couldn’t think of what else it could be, I was thinking of familiar names for the actors in question…. Still haven’t bothered to pick out the anagrams contained 😂