Zelma Hedin made a success in the French salon comedies, a very popular and fashionable genre of the time, in which she was seen as the successor of Emilie Högquist, and she gradually replaced Charlotta Almlöf in coquette roles.

[1] She was famed for the elegance of her costume which was called "truly Parisian",[1] was said to have "a grande and beautiful figure", and critics claimed that she attracted attention more for her appearance than for her ability and characterized her popular romantic roles as a "hallow declamation".

In the 1850s - after the golden age of Charlotta Almlöf and Fanny Westerdahl and prior to the breakthrough of Elise Hwasser - Zelma Hedin was reportedly the leading star actress of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, and in the season 1856-57 it was said that she had no rivals, "acted as the Grande Intrigante both on and off the stage"[1] and exerted an influence "which was not without opposition".

[1] An incident describing her position was when The Merchant of Venice was cancelled because Hedin, after having learned the role of Portia, suddenly refused to play it the night of the premier, and no other actress had the time to study the part.

Among her parts where Elisabet in "Doktor Wespe" (Doctor Wespe), Georgina in "Qväkaren och dansösen" (The Quaker and the dancer) by Scribe, Richelieu in "Richelieus första vapenbragd" (The first bravery of Richelieu) by Bayard, Sofie Arnould in "Jag äter middag hos min mor" (I will be having dinner with my mother), mrs de Nohan in "Den gifte mannen i staden och på landet" (The married man in the city and in the country), and Mrs. Montjoye in "Montjoye" by Dalayrac; she also performed as Rosaura in "Lifvet en dröm" (Life is a dream) by Calderon, Mossamor in "Marsk Stigs döttrar" (The daughters of Marschal Stig) by Josephsson and the "burlesuqe" part of mrs Godard in "En fattig ädling" (A poor noble) by Dumanoir.