Madeline Zima

Intro

Madeline Zima has worked across family comedy, thrillers and adult television comedy. Grace Sheffield in The Nanny is a useful starting point, while Mia Lewis in Californication shows a very different part of her screen career. These roles belong to different kinds of ensemble storytelling. Watching them alongside her film work offers a way to follow an actor across changing formats and audiences, rather than treating a familiar childhood role as the whole story.

Career snapshot

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, on September 16, 1985, Zima appeared as Emma Bartel in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle in 1992. The Gale reference entry also records Kate Mason in Mr. Nanny the following year. Her early film credits preceded and overlapped the six-year span of The Nanny. Later roles in the same reference include Brianna in A Cinderella Story and the teenage Lucille Ball in the television film Lucy, two contrasting assignments from the early 2000s.

The entry point

The Nanny ran with Zima as Grace Sheffield from 1993 to 1999. L.A. Theatre Works identifies this as one of her best-known roles. For a rewatch, follow Grace across more than a single episode and notice how a continuing child character participates in a family comedy. The useful comparison is between the recurring relationships of a series and a film role that has to establish its place in one self-contained story.

Screen identity and style

Her television work extends well beyond that early sitcom. L.A. Theatre Works also identifies her as Gretchen Berg in Heroes and lists appearances in Grimm, The Vampire Diaries, Royal Pains and My Boys. These credits provide several directions for exploring her adult work. They should not all be read as equivalent commitments: a recurring character and an individual guest appearance offer different opportunities, and a series credit alone does not mean an actor appeared throughout its run.

Collaborations and patterns

Paramount names Zima as Mia Lewis in seasons one through four of Californication. Its ensemble includes David Duchovny as Hank Moody, Natascha McElhone as Karen Van Der Beek, Pamela Adlon as Marcy Runkle, Evan Handler as Charlie Runkle and Madeleine Martin as Becca Moody. This is an adult comedy context, distinct from The Nanny. For a focused viewing comparison, consider how Mia enters an established network of relationships and how the ensemble changes the expectations surrounding a familiar performer.

Era reflection

The film credits listed by L.A. Theatre Works include The Collector, My Own Love Song, The Family Tree, Crazy Kind of Love and #Stuck. Together with the earlier films, they offer a broader viewing route than television alone. The photographs here document two public appearances, in 2008 and at Cinequest in 2026. They are identified by their actual occasions and dates; neither is presented as a costume photograph or still from one of these productions.

Legacy and rediscovery

Zima’s career can be explored through three clear starting points: the sustained familiarity of Grace in The Nanny, the adult ensemble of Californication, and individual film performances. A useful rewatch moves between those settings instead of expecting the same character or tone each time. Her credited work makes that comparison possible, while the source records below separate documented roles from the viewing suggestions offered here.

Selected screen roles

• The Nanny: Grace Sheffield — 1993–1999
• Californication: Mia Lewis — Seasons 1–4
• Heroes: Gretchen Berg — Television

A career in pictures

Public appearances eighteen years apart, with original photographers and licenses recorded below. Select an image for a larger view.

A public appearance (2008)

Madeline Zima

RealTVfilms image from a 2008 video, as identified by the archive.

Cinequest Film Festival (2026)

Madeline Zima at Cinequest

Photographed by Jesse Kornblum on March 14, 2026.

Rewatch notes

• Zima played Grace Sheffield in The Nanny from 1993 to 1999.
• Her early films include The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Mr. Nanny.
• Paramount identifies Mia Lewis as her Californication character.
• L.A. Theatre Works identifies her Heroes character as Gretchen Berg.