Actor in the wars? (4)

I believe the answer is:
star
'actor' is the definition.
(star is a kind of actor)
'the wars?' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'sar' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'in' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for star that I've seen before include "Famous performer" , "Outstanding entertainer" , "Outstanding actor" , "Symbol of excellence" , "Main attraction" .)
