You might know Meat Loaf best for his amazingly over-the-top jukebox anthems — classics like “Bat Out of Hell,” “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” or “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” — but this hard rock icon also has a pretty impressive acting career. We’re not just talking a guest appearance on CSI (though we love you, Justin Bieber) but some serious cult film appearances. Plus, today is the Loaf’s 63rd birthday! Join us in wishing him many more bats out of hell, and check out his best TV and movie appearances, after the jump.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
In the original Rocky Horror Show, Meat Loaf played both Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott. For the movie, he just plays Eddie — but pretty fantastically, you must admit. During his time filming, Meat Loaf began crafting what would be the album Bat Out of Hell.
Wayne’s World (1992)
Meat Loaf’s part in this film was all to brief — he played Tiny, the bouncer who greets Wayne right before he goes in to see Cassandra’s band.
Spice World (1997)
In this late-90s novelty flick, which, we confess, we saw in theaters, the Spice Girls rock a crazy double-decker bus, complete with a disco ball, bean bag chairs, and, yes, Meat Loaf as the driver.
Fight Club (1999)
As Robert “Bob” Paulson — the guy in the support group with the unfortunate man boobs — Meat Loaf had some poignant and not-a-little gross moments in Fight Club. He even got that most coveted of all acting prizes — a death scene! Well, sort of.
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Meat Loaf appears in the Tenacious D movies as Jack Black’s disciplinarian father who (of course) hates rock music as an instrument of the devil. Too bad he wasn’t in the movie more — a Jack Black and Meat Loaf duet, please?
House, M.D. (2009)
As one of House’s terminally ill patients, Meat Loaf left us in tears. In a later interview, he explained that he hoped fans didn’t recognize him immediately: “My ideal situation is for people to watch House… and not even know it’s me.” Success, there, Loaf.