Zima was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the daughter of Marie and Dennis. Her surname means "winter" in Polish and comes from her maternal grandfather, who was of Polish descent. Zima has two younger sisters, Vanessa and Yvonne, both of whom are also actresses.
Career
Zima began her career when she was two years old, after she was chosen as a child to appear in a television commercial for Downyfabric softener. From 1993 to 1999 she played the role of Grace Sheffield on the television show The Nanny throughout all of its six seasons. Zima, then aged 22, played Mia Lewis, a sexually precocious and conniving 16-year-old, on the first two seasons of the series Californication and overall appeared in the series from 2007 to 2011. In promotion of the fictional book her character wrote, Fucking & Punching, Zima starred in several Californication webisodes that are featured on YouTube. From 2009 to 2010, Zima joined the cast of Heroes as Gretchen Berg, Claire Bennet's quirky bisexual roommate and tentative love interest. Zima has also become known for her work in films such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, A Cinderella Story, Dimples, Looking for Sunday, Once in a Very Blue Moon, Pretty Little Devils and The Collector. Zima appeared as a guest star on several TV shows including Law & Order, JAG, and Touched by an Angel. She also guest starred in an episode of The Vampire Diaries, and in two episodes of the 2017 Twin Peaks revival. In 2012, she was cast in a co-starring role in the ABC drama pilot Gilded Lilys, though the series was ultimately not picked up by ABC. Zima starred in The Blondes, a scripted podcast series, where her sister Yvonne Zima appeared. In 2020, she appeared in HBO's Perry Mason.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
She was nominated three times for a YoungStar Award at the YoungStar Awards, in 1995, 1997 and 1999 all of them for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series for The Nanny. She was also nominated thirteen times for a Young Artist Award at the Young Artist Awards:
1993 – Best Young Actress Under Ten in a Motion Picture for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
1995 – Best Performance by a Youth Actress as a TV Guest Star for Law & Order, and Best Performance by a Youth Ensemble in a Television Series shared with Nicholle Tom and Benjamin Salisbury, Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a Motion Picture and Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a TV Series, all of them for The Nanny
1996 – Best Performance by a Young Actress in a TV Comedy Series for The Nanny
1998 – Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series by a Supporting Young Actress for The Nanny
2001 – Best Performance in a TV Movie by a Leading Young Actress for The Sandy Bottom Orchestra
