In Season 8’s “Mr. Monk and the Voodoo Curse,” a series of seemingly accidental deaths involving voodoo dolls has Natalie unexpectedly freaked out. That dread turns to terror when she receives a doll with her name on it from the killer in the mail. To help calm her down, Monk and Stottlemeyer enlist the services of a local voodoo priest played by rock star Meat Loaf to perform a cleansing ceremony that goes predictably awry.
Born Marvin Aday in 1947, Meat Loaf burst onto the scene in the 1970s, known for his large frame, powerful voice, and theatrical bombast. His collaboration with songwriter Jim Steinman, the 1977 album “Bat Out of Hell,” became a worldwide smash after being rejected by every major record label; Meat Loaf and Steinman would release two sequel albums in 1991 and 2006. As an actor, his break came in 1968 when he was cast in the Broadway production of the flower child musical “Hair.” He played the role of Eddie in the 1975 Broadway production of “The Rocky Horror Show” and in its film adaptation “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” later that same year. Many of his roles would lean into the gothic, supernaturally tinged persona that defined his music, likeon “Monk” or the Uwe Boll-directed video game adaptation “Bloodrayne.” That said, in David Fincher’s “Fight Club,” arguably his most famous non-musical role, Meat Loaf played an ordinary guy. Meat Loaf died in January 2022; no official cause of death was given, though some sources (including TMZ) claim that it may have been COVID-19 related.