Madeline Zima is an American actress best recognized for her small-screen roles. She is best known for her role as Grace Sheffield on the CBS sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999). She has also featured on Showtime’s Californication (2007–2011) and NBC’s Heroes (2009–2010). Follow us as we explore more details about her career and personal life.
Madeline Zima Wiki/Bio, Age
Madeline Zima was born on September 16, 1985, in New Haven, Connecticut to Marie and Dennis and raised partly in Pennsylvania. She is of Polish descent through her mother’s side. Her surname “Zima” means winter in Polish and comes from her maternal grandfather. She is also of Italian, German, and Irish descent.
Zima has two sisters Vanessa Zima and Yvonne Zima who are both actresses. Zima began her show business career very early. At the age of 2, she appeared in a commercial for a fabric softener by Downy. At the age of 7, she began to pursue acting professionally. However, her early days weren’t entirely smooth.
Zima almost quit acting when she auditioned for a role in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) five times and didn’t get it. However, on the 6th try, she landed the role of Emma Bartel, opening her filmography. Her next role came in a short film entitled The Last Supper. She then landed a role in the CBS sitcom The Nanny which would become her first break. After the series began to gain traction, Zima relocated from New York to Los Angeles.
Zima remained on the show throughout its entire run. During her time on the show, she made out time to feature on other TV shows including JAG, Touched by an Angel, and Lethal Vows. She also had a role in the 1997 film ‘Til There Was You and Second Chances (1998).
After The Nanny rounded up in 1999, Zima guest-starred in numerous TV shows including The Nightmare Room, Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven, Ghost Whisperer, Greys Anatomy and more. In the film, she appeared in A Cinderella Story (2004), Pretty Little Devils (2008), a Direct-to-video film.
Zima’s next main role on the small screen was in Californication. She portrayed Mia Lewis for 2 seasons from 2007 to 2011. She then had a recurring role as Gretchen Berg in Heroes. Other TV films, Zima has featured include; My Boys, Royal Pains, The Vampire Diaries, Agent X, and Twin Peaks.
Zima credits her fellow actress sisters for her success in the film industry. “My sisters are my best friends and my most staunch supporters,” she once said. “They’re always there to help me through every audition, through interviews, and through everything. Hopefully, I find some guy that I love as much as them someday. They are the best things in my life, and I would be completely lost without them.”
In one of her interviews, Zima revealed that she grew up with the likes of Hilary Duff and Ashley Tisdale who were then, like her, upcoming acts in the film industry.
“I grew up with a lot of people who are famous now. I was friends with Hilary and Haley Duff. They are such lovely girls. I have watched their careers blossom, which I am really happy for. I grew up with Ashley Tisdale; we used to both life in Valencia, so we used to hang out back in the day.”
In addition to acting, Zima has other talents. She plays the violin, guitar, and also sings and writes songs. Zima writes screenplays and hopes to one day direct her own movie.
Madeline Zima Married/Husband, Kids
Zima is very private when it comes to her personal life. Since her career began, Madeline has never been rumored to be dating anyone. So in 2009 when she played her first gay role in a recurring character in Heroes, many speculated that she could be gay in real life. Zima played a quirky bisexual roommate of Claire Bennet (portrayed by Hayden Panettiere) whom she is attracted to.
Speaking about the sexuality of her Heroes character, she said;
“I had an inkling because it was called a “chemistry read” with Hayden [Panettiere] and I was like ‘Hmm, chemistry! With a girl? I never had to do that. That’s weird.”
In the same interview, she said; “You never know, I might become a lesbian sometime. Very soon — I seriously considered it. I think women are beautiful and they’re definitely good kissers.”
When asked if she had any real-life romantic connection with Hayden Panettiere, she simply replied; “If there would be any girl, it would probably be her.”
In the 2011 film “Family Tree,” Zima also played a gay role. That same year, a post she made on Twitter hinted that she had a boyfriend.
Till Zima decides to be more specific on what goes on in her romantic life, we’ll all be left to mere speculations.
Feet: Zima wears shoe size 8 (US).
