Vanessa Zima was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, to parents Dennis and Marie, and is the sister of actresses Madeline Zima and Yvonne Zima. Her surname, "Zima," is her mother's maiden name, which has Polish origins. Vanessa's maternal grandfather was of Polish descent, while her other ancestry is Italian, German, and Irish.
Zima began her film career at the age of eight in The Baby-Sitters Club (1995),alongside Larisa Oleynik and Rachael Leigh Cook. She later appeared in a recurring role as Daniel Benzali's daughter on Murder One (1995),and shortly afterwards took on the role of "Penny Jackson" in Ulee's Gold (1997),which was originally intended for her older sister Madeline, who had other commitments.
This led to her role in Wicked (1998),where she played Julia Stiles' younger sister, and guest-starring roles on The Visitor (1997),Crisis Center (1997),and Family Law (1999). Vanessa then landed her first starring role in the independent film Zoe (2001).
When not working, Vanessa enjoys choreography and dance.
