A previous actor? (9)
I believe the answer is:
performer
'actor?' is the definition.
(actor is a type of performer)
'a previous' is the wordplay.
'a' becomes 'per' (eg 'one a day' means 'one per day').
'previous' becomes 'former' (synonyms).
'per'+'former'='PERFORMER'
(Other definitions for performer that I've seen before include "star?" , "Thespian" , "clown possibly" , "Such as a musician or actor" , "Artiste" .)