Madeline Rose Zima was born on the 16th September 1985, in New Haven, Connecticut USA, and is a film and television actress, perhaps still best known for her breakthrough role as Gracie Sheffield in the hit television sitcom “The Nanny”, which lasted from 1993 to 1999, as well as for portraying a troubled young woman in the award-winning show Californication from 2007 to 2011. Zima has also played in such movies as “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” (1992), “Mr Nanny” (1993), “The Sandy Bottom Orchestra” (2000) and “A Cinderella Story” (2004). Her career began in 1992, though by that time she already had a small acting credit under her belt, appearing in the commercial for the Downy fabric softener.
Have you ever wondered how rich Madeline Zima is, as of early 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Zima’s net worth is as high as $2 million, an amount earned through her successful career in acting.
Madeline Zima Net Worth $2 Million
Madeline Zima was born as the eldest daughter of Marie and Dennis, but the family surname came from her maternal grandfather, Henry A. Zima. On her mother’s side, Zima has Polish, Irish and German ancestry, whereas on her father’s side she is of Italian ancestry. Zima’s sisters, Vanessa Zima and Yvonne Zima, are also actresses. In fact, Madeline and Vanessa were discovered together in 1990 by Woody Allen. However, Madeline’s career didn’t truly start until two years later.
In 1992, Madeline finally snagged the role of Emma in the film “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” after her sixth callback, at which point her acting career took off, at the age of seven. The following year, she appeared in the comedy movie “Mr. Nanny” alongside Hulk Hogan, as well as the critically acclaimed short film “The Last Supper”; directed by Darryl Hannah, this short film was lauded at Sundance, and brought recognition to its young star. That year proved to be a great success for Madeline, since it also marked the beginning of her six-year-long stint in the hit television show “The Nanny”, lasting from 1993 to 1999. Zima starred as Gracie, the youngest of the three siblings, who become charges of the titular Nanny, honing her comedic skills alongside such actors as Fran Drescher, Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane, and Charles Shaughnessy. For this role, she also earned several nominations in the YoungStar category for the YoungStar Awards, besides which she was nominated thirteen times for a Young Artist Award.
Afterwards, Zima starred in several television movies, including “Lethal Vows” (1999) with John Ritter, Marg Helgenberger and Megan Gallagher, and “The Sandy Bottom Orchestra” (2000) with Glenne Headly and Tom Irwin. For the latter movie, she learned to play the violin, and she did it with such conviction that everyone on the set believed she was a professional violinist. In 2004, Zima appeared in the teen movie “A Cinderella Story”, playing one of the wicked stepsisters; the movie, which starred Hillary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, was a great box office success, and this role increased Zima’s net worth significantly.
During this time, she hadn’t neglected her television career, guest-starring in several popular TV shows, including “Gilmore Girls”, “7th Heaven”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, and “The Vampire Diaries”. She also left a significant mark in pop culture, appearing in two critically acclaimed series – “Californication” (2007-2011) portraying Hank Moody’s (David Duchovny) teenage lover, and “Heroes” (2006-2010), where she played Claire Bennet’s (Hayden Panettiere) roommate.
Zima continues to act, and her recent credits include the short films “Dream Girl” (2016) and “Carry Me” (2016), as well as a role in the “Twin Peaks” reboot, which will premiere in 2017.
Regarding her personal life, because of her acting career, Madeline relocated to Los Angeles, California where she continues to live and work. There are no rumours of any romantic associations, but in her free time, she enjoys playing the guitar, snowboarding, painting and writing songs and screenplays.
She and her sisters have their own website, The ZIMA Sisters' Official Home Page. Fan letters can be sent via email from the site, and Miss Zima answers as many of them as she can.
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Parents: Dennis and Maria
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Played a character named Rachel Green in the movie The Sandy Bottom Orchestra (2000) - her little sister Yvonne played the first Rachel Greene on the television series, ER (1994).
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Was cast to play a teen-aged Lucille Ball in a movie/mini-series for CBS for 2003. This was a period piece were Madeline would play the I Love Lucy (1951) star from ages 13 to 18 and was scripted to film a scene with a teen-aged Bette Davis, with whom Ball attended drama school. For the role, Madeline would have to cut her long hair in a bob. The movie was tentatively-titled the "I Love Lucy" movie or "Redhead". The movie's final title was Lucy (2003).