At the moment, he’s probably best know as the father of two talented offspring – Rufus and Martha Wainwright. But Dad’s credentials are pretty impressive in their own right.

In addition to being a songwriter, Wainwright is also a well-established character actor. Most recently, he’s been featured in a recurring role on Fox’s new comedy, Undeclared.

Previous stints include appearances on “M*A*S*H,” “The Jasper Carrot Show” (BBC1), and several off-Broadway shows and movies. He also hosted the BBC TV series “Loudon & Co.”

Along with writing songs for his own albums, Wainwright is commissioned by National Public Radio (NPR) U.S. to write topical songs on people and events in the news. A collection of these tunes appeared in his Social Studies album, released in 1999.

Early in his career, he was hailed as a new Bob Dylan but Wainwright chose a quirkier path. Known for his humorous and sometimes brutally honest autobiographical songs, he first scored with the novelty hit “Dead Skunk” in 1972.

He gained a cult following with the college crowd in the States but he found greater fame in the U.K., prompting a move overseas. He eventually returned the U.S. to pursue his highly personal music.