凡妮莎·奇玛，Vanessa Zima was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, to parents Dennis and Marie, and is the sister of actresses 'Madeline Zima (I)' and Yvonne Zima. "Zima", a Polish surname, is her mother's maiden name; Vanessa's maternal grandfather was of Polish descent, while her other ancestry is Italian, German, and Irish.