Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the 1971 film, Play Misty for Me. What was the occupation of his character in the film?

In Clint Eastwood's directorial debut, he portrays Dave Garver, a popular late-night disc jockey for the jazz radio station KRML in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. His profession is the catalyst for the entire plot. The film's title is a direct quote from a recurring, mysterious female caller who frequently phones his show with the simple request, "Play 'Misty' for me." Garver’s smooth on-air persona and local celebrity status are what first attract the attention of his soon-to-be stalker.

The film is a landmark psychological thriller, establishing a template for the "fatal attraction" subgenre that would become popular in the following decades. The choice of a disc jockey as the protagonist was particularly effective, as the public yet anonymous nature of radio provides a believable reason for an unstable listener to develop an obsessive, one-sided relationship. The setting was also personal for Eastwood, a long-time resident of the area who would later serve as the mayor of Carmel in the mid-1980s. The film even features authentic footage of the legendary 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival, further cementing the character's identity within the music world.