A veteran actor recently got a new role he never played in real life before--a father. Sixty-year-old thespian Jin Shi-jye and his wife welcomed a pair of boy-and-girl twins earlier this month, and Jin's friends in the theatrical world were quick to send him their blessings.

He may not be a superstar either on stage or on screen, but his performance always elevates the show he appears in. Jin Shi-jye, the veteran acting wizard is probably best remembered by young audiences as the somber and guilt-stricken president in 2009's popular TV drama "Black and White," or by theatergoers as the resourceful and mysterious barkeeper in last year's "Irma La Douce," a theatrical adaptation of Billy Wilders 1963 film.

This year, Jin returns as the

Jins convincing portrayal of a 79-year-old professor dying from Lou Gehrig's disease has once again proven why he is one of Taiwan's greatest thespians working today.

But Jin was not originally trained to be an actor.

Having graduated from an agricultural vocational school in Pingtung, Jin specialized in animal husbandry. Yet he knew back then that his true calling is in art and literature. In 1980, Jin co-founded Lan Ling Theater Workshop with his friends.

Their inaugural production "Ho Chu's New Match," written and directed by Jin himself, was a massive hit with critics and audiences, and has since been regarded as a classic in the history of modern Taiwanese theater.

And when Stan Lai's masterpiece "The Peach Blossom Land" premiered in 1986, Jin was cast in the leading role of Jiang Bing-liu, and he gave such a definitive performance that no other actor was given the chance to play the part until 20 years later.

"Jin Shi-jye's performance is highly refined.

He keeps an eye on every detail.

And he never gives a poor performance."

"He does not approach his roles the way other actors do.

(metaphorically speaking) While others have to choose between the forest and the tree,

he can depict the tree while keeping the forest in view."

In 2009, Jin won the prestigious National Literature and Art Achievement Award, a fitting recognition for his decades of artistic excellence.

Extraordinary that award may be, Jin could hardly expect at the time that an even bigger prize was coming his way.

Earlier this month, Jin's wife gave birth to their first children, a pair of boy and girl twins, in Taipei. And his long-time collaborators at the Godot Theatre Company had prepared for him a few surprise gifts, which somewhat confused the sixty-year-old new dad.

"A story book with just 15 Chinese characters inside."

"So much shorter than your lines in a play."

When asked about his interaction with the newborns, Jin admitted that it can be tiring sometimes, but fortunately it's an area where his past experiences with animals may come in handy.

"I once gave the babies a bath and was drenched in sweat in the process.

And my waist was so sore.

Their bones are so soft, flesh so thin.

I felt like holding a fish in my hands, fearing it may slip through my grip anytime.

It took me a long time to give them a bath, with a nurse watching me nearby.

I had to be careful not to spill water into their eyes or ears.

Its so tiring."

"Have you started to handle the babies' poop?"

"I'm about to, but haven't started yet.

I observed how the nurses did it.

I kind of enjoy doing that. You know, I used to be a vet.

I practiced it on other living beings before."

It may be too early to predict at this point whether his children will follow Jin's footsteps and pursue a career in acting, but for those who have such plans, Jin has a word of advice.

"You have to see very clearly what art means to you.

You can't recklessly say that 'I have a burning passion for art.'

For it might burn you to death in the end."