Portrait of Madeline Zima

Birthday profile

Madeline Zima

Madeline Zima, American actress

Born
September 16, 1985
Age in 2026
41
Zodiac sign
Virgo
Birth year
1985

About Madeline Zima

Madeline Zima (born September 16, 1985) is an American actress. She portrayed Grace Sheffield on the CBS sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999), Mia Lewis on the Showtime comedy drama series Californication (2007–2011), and Gretchen Berg on the NBC series Heroes (2006–2010). == Early life == Zima was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on September 16, 1985, the daughter of Marie and Dennis Zima. Her surname means "winter" in Polish and comes from her maternal grandfather, who was of Polish descent. She has two younger sisters, Vanessa and Yvonne, both of whom are also actresses. == Career == Madeline Zima began her career when she was two years old with an appearance in a television commercial for Downy fabric softener. In 1993, as a child actress, she landed a main role as Grace Sheffield on the television show The Nanny, which lasted six seasons and ran until 1999. In 2007, Zima played the main role of Mia Lewis in the first two seasons of the Showtime comedy-drama Californication alongside David Duchovny, appearing as a guest star in seasons 3 & 4 through to 2011. In promotion of the fictional book her character wrote, Fucking & Punching, Zima starred in several Californication webisodes featured on YouTube. Zima has become known for her work in films including The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, A Cinderella Story, Dimples, Looking for Sunday, Once in a Very Blue Moon, Legacy, and The Collector.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

The world when Madeline Zima was born

Madeline Zima was born in 1985. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1985

  • #1 song"We Are the World" – USA for Africa
  • Top movieOut of Africa
  • Top TV showThe Cosby Show
  • Best-selling bookThe Handmaid's Tale – Margaret Atwood

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMichael Jordan named NBA Rookie of the Year
  • Top headlineLive Aid concert raises awareness for African famine
  • Technology milestoneNintendo NES released in the US
  • Defining fadNintendo NES
  • Notable inventionNintendo Entertainment System (NES) launches in US
  • World population4.85 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRonald Reagan
  • Sports championKansas City Royals (World Series)
  • Also wonLos Angeles Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population237.9M

1985 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Madeline Zima's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19852026
Gas$1.12$3.45/gal
Average home$75,500$435,000
Average income$27,735$67,500
Minimum wage$3.35$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$3.55$11.95
Postage stamp$0.22$0.73
Population237.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.