A player of current eminence (5)
I believe the answer is:
actor
'a player' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'current eminence' is the wordplay.
'current' becomes 'ac' (alternating current).
'eminence' becomes 'tor' (I've seen this before).
'ac'+'tor'='ACTOR'
'of' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for actor that I've seen before include "I pretend" , "Performer in drama" , "Theatrical performer" , "Dramatic artist" , "Films/stage worker" .)