The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 5 letter word CARY GRANT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
A
R
Y
G
R
A
N
T
More clues leading to the result CARY GRANT
- Unknown relative caught by bear, he acted
- Movie star getting award after a piercing howl
- 9 has, we hear, bear permit
- Movie star runs out of lift with award
- . Actor gets vote for award right away
- Actor asked to support award
- Wagon conveying angry, hurt actor
- Unknown funding on vehicle for old Hollywood star
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "he acted" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case he acted = cary grant.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.