She played the role of Grace Sheffield on the television show The Nanny for six years. Zima has become known for her work in films such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and having most recently appeared in the Hilary Duff film A Cinderella Story and soon-to-be-released movies Dimples, Looking for Sunday, Once in a Very Blue Moon and Legacy. Advertisements for an upcoming David Duchovny project, titled Californication, on Showtime features Zima, who appears topless in the trailer.