Background
Zima was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the daughter of Marie and Dennis.
Zima was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the daughter of Marie and Dennis.
She is best known for portraying Grace Sheffield on the sitcom The Nanny, Mia Lewis on the Showtime comedy drama series Californication, and Gretchen Berg on Heroes. Zima began her career when she was two years old, after she was chosen as a child to appear in a television commercial for Downy fabric softener. From 1993 to 1999 she played the role of Grace Sheffield on the television show The Nanny throughout all of its six seasons.
In 2007 and 2008 Zima played Mia Lewis, a sexually precocious and conniving 16-year-old, on the first two seasons of the series Californication and overall appeared at the series" episodes from 2007 to 2011.
In promotion of Mia"s book, 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, Legacy and The Collector. Zima appeared as a guest star on several television shows, among them co-starring in the American Broadcasting Company drama pilot Gilded Lillys, and in an episode of The Vampire Diaries.
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 television Series for The Nanny (1993). 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 (1992) 1994 – Best Youth Actress Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy and for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series shared with Benjamin Salisbury and Nicholle Tom both for The Nanny (1993) 1995 – Best Performance by a Youth Actress as a television Guest Star for Law & Order (1990), 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 television Series, all of them for The Nanny (1993) 1996 – Best Performance by a Young Actress in a television Comedy Series for The Nanny (1993) 1998 – Best Performance in a television Comedy Series by a Supporting Young Actress for The Nanny (1993) 2001 – Best Performance in a television Movie (Drama) by a Leading Young Actress for The Sandy Bottom Orchestra.
