Ali Mostafa on casting Californication star Madeline Zima in From A to B

Actress Madeline Zima. Christopher Polk / Getty Images for Amazon Studios / AFP

Among From A to B's stellar local and regional cast – including the Saudi comedy sensation Fahad Albutairi, the Palestinian Omar star Leem Lubani and the Egyptian heavyweight Khaled Abol Naga – there also lurks a bona fide Hollywood screen starlet, in the form of Madeline Zima.

In From A to B, she plays one of two western backpackers who tag along with the film's three main characters for part of their journey, only to spring an unexpected surprise on them.

“When we approached Madeline to join the cast, she was very excited as it was her first time in the Middle East and her first ‘Arabic’ film,” says director Ali F Mostafa.

Zima, 29, began her career at the age of 2 in an advert for Downy fabric conditioner. She cemented her child-star status by appearing in the 1990s TV sitcom The Nanny, in which she played the daughter Grace Sheffield for six years. She also starred in the 1992 film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

More recently, she played Mia Lewis for four years alongside David Duchovny in the TV ­comedy-drama Californication, and also appeared in 11 episodes of Heroes, along with guest spots on well-known shows such as King of the Hill, Grey's Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries.

Her movie career has continued too, with a role alongside Eva Longoria in 2012's Crazy Kind of Love and in 2009's home-­invasion horror The Collector.

Zima is currently shooting an as-yet-untitled, Los Angeles-set, martial-arts thriller with the cult Indonesian director Livi Zheng (Brush With Danger).

Mostafa hopes the actress will not be the last American he casts.

“As with all the cast, she was great to work with,” he says. “She was very professional and made everyone feel very comfortable on set. I hope she enjoyed her experience and I hope her part in our film opens doors to other western actors taking an interest in our work.”