Pregnant or not? The paparazzi are guessing but for Zhang Ziyi the most exciting thing at present is that she has completed a role she really loves.

In Chen Kaige's Forever Enthralled, a biopic on Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang, Zhang plays Mei's lover Meng Xiaodong, a Peking Opera actress.

Zhang doesn't hide her enthusiasm for the role, saying that Meng is one of the women she looks up to most. She even thought of making a film about Meng's life herself.

"Meng Xiaodong experienced many hardships, but she never complained," she says, "and I appreciate her love for Mei Lanfang, strong and selfless."

Like Zhang, Meng was a star and was called "Emperor Dong" because of her refined acting skills at playing laosheng (old man roles), while Zhang is one of the few internationally acclaimed Chinese actresses.

But in terms of her personal life, Meng was less fortunate. She broke up with Mei after a short marriage, left the Chinese mainland with Shanghai gang leader Du Yusheng in 1949 and died in Taiwan, alone.

Zhang's relationship with fianc Vivi Nevo has been a pet topic for gossip columnists and Nevo has confirmed they will marry next year.

Zhang won't comment on the pregnancy rumor - she still has a slim body and 8 cm heels - but admits she is a big fan of babies.

"I have wanted to have children ever since 17," she told an audience of journalists and fans at a recording of the CCTV show Art and Story. "I always want to marry and have a baby. I was under great pressure as a freshman at university and was like a fly without a head, not knowing what to do. I thought of quitting and getting married at that time."

Her plan was postponed when Zhang Yimou recruited her for The Road Home (Wode Fuqin Muqin) in 1999. What followed was one golden opportunity after another, such as a starring role in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, teaming up with Jackie Chan in Rush Hour 2 and playing the lead in Memoirs of a Geisha.

Like Meng, Zhang seldom talks about the tough times in her life.

"I am not a person who likes to complain," she says. "I think every one has something to complain about but complaints do not solve problems. All you can do is try harder. I would rather share my happiness with friends."

(China Daily December 2, 2008)