Born in Burma on December 11th, 1945, of an English father and a Burmese mother, Zienia lived in Singapore, then in Borneo and was schooled in Portugal. Zienia childhood wish was to become a dancer, and upon securing her father's agreement she was registered at the dancing and acting school led by the "Arts Education Trust" in Tring, Hertfordshire, UK.

But, as Zienia progressed, she found herself rather more interested in modern dance. Enjoying public performance, and taking into consideration her changing interests, she found herself gravitating towards the acting field. Without any official training, she began her career as an actress in the 1960s while still a teenager.

It was a decade later, in the mid to late 1970s, that Zienia enjoyed one of her greatest professional successes when she garnered the role of 'Sandra Benes' in the hit syndicated British science fiction television series "Space: 1999" (1975). The series ran for two seasons of 48 episodes and gave her international exposure. In recent years, Zienia has roles in several films, made numerous television guest appearances, and has starred in live theatrical presentations in the UK, including "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Laundry, and "Present Continuous".