Game actor in South Dakota amazed! (9)

I believe the answer is:

staggered

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'amazed' is the definition.
(staggering is a kind of amazing)

'game actor in south dakota' is the wordplay.
'game' becomes 'tag' (children's playground game).
'actor' becomes 'gere' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'south dakota' becomes 'sd' (abbreviation).
'tag'+'gere'='taggere'
'taggere' inserted into 'sd' is 'STAGGERED'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for staggered that I've seen before include "Moved unsteadily, being deeply shocked" , "Arranged to take place at intervals" , "Bowled over" , "Lurched, reeled" , "Did floor" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.

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