Zach Galifianakis Paid Old Homeless Woman’s Rent for Years & Spent Time with Her as She Had No Family

Now a household name in Hollywood, Zach Galifianakis is one of the most adored comedians. He did, however, come from considerably lower origins and lead a quite different life than he does now. One woman has remained a constant in his life, though.

When Galifianakis was just starting out in comedy, he relocated to Los Angeles. He wanted to be a celebrity, but he had to start small and earn his big break just like every other star. The comic accomplished this by taking on odd jobs and doing stand-up.

His favorite places to perform were the back rooms of burger establishments, where he could showcase his skills prior to being cast in major roles like Alan in the “The Hangover” series. While it was significant to meet Hollywood directors, Galifianakis also developed other significant friendships throughout this journey.

Even while his jobs improved his life, the woman who entertained him over those years was someone he met in the unlikeliest of places. It turned out that the couple would become a powerful partnership in years to come.

Meeting Mimi

Galifianakis first met the woman who would have a big influence on his life in 1994. Marie “Mimi” Haist was a volunteer at a laundry and was subsisting on customer tips when she met Galifianakis.

Because he lived directly around the block from Fox Laundry, where Haist was helping, the “The Hangover” star frequently went there. Even though it had been more than 20 years since their first meeting, the two remained close.

Haist had been single for a while when she met Galifianakis, despite having been married before. She was homeless after her divorce and started looking for a place to sleep or work. She discovered the two items in one location.

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Haist started working at the laundry, where her manager gave her permission to live there for over two decades. Haist disclosed that in order to keep customers from seeing her, she would nap in between the washing and drying machines.

Once Haist and Galifianakis became friends, Galifianakis informed Haist that he would find her a comfortable place to live after learning that she was residing at the laundromat. Galifianakis found Haist an apartment and paid for it, despite his lack of success to date.

Reneé Zellwegger, whom Galifianakis later introduced to Haist, assisted Haist in furnishing her residence. Though Haist didn’t know who Galifianakis was, she was thrilled to meet Zellwegger and recognized her right away.

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Even though Galifianakis has had an influence on Haist’s life, there is another person for whom she is grateful. Haist expressed her appreciation for Zellwegger and Galifianakis’ contributions by saying:

“I sincerely appreciate [what Zach and Renée have done]. I now have a place to live and a bed of my own. My social security helps me pay my phone bill and for meals now that I have it.”

Red Carpet Treatment

Galifianakis was affected by meeting Haist, but Haist’s life was irrevocably altered by meeting the rising star. The two established a close relationship by the time Galifianakis landed his breakout role in “The Hangover” in 2009.

Haist now had more chances to enjoy life’s finer things because to this link. Galifianakis would invite Haist to go on dates with him if he had a movie premiere or other Hollywood event and he had no one to go with.

Galifianakis claims Haist manages events effectively, but he hasn’t grown accustomed to Hollywood gatherings despite his extended public profile. Galifianakis declared he had fun escorting Haist on the red carpet, revealing:

“I enjoy seeing her in that environment. She fits in in a very peculiar way, somehow.

As for the red carpet treatment she has had since meeting Galifianakis, Haist shared her opinions by saying, “If he’s in town, he takes me… I get all dolled up, and my pal does my makeup. It’s enjoyable; I never would have imagined experiencing it. After that, the limo drives me home.”

Even while Haist enjoys herself at the events, other people also find joy in being present. Even though Galifianakis doesn’t like walking down red carpets, he claims that having Haist with him on the carpet improves his mood.

Haist also felt part of Galifianakis’ pleasure from being in his spotlight. “Queen Mimi,” a documentary on Haist, was produced in 2016. The documentary’s director, Yaniv Rokah, expressed his desire to create a film based on Haist’s narrative because he found it so compelling.

He said the following regarding how he met Haist and made the decision to learn more about her life:

“I was curious about her identity, her reason for being there, and the plot.”

After the movie came out, Haist was recognized by the laundromat patrons, who informed her that she was a famous person. But Haist carried on as normal, deviating from her routine only occasionally as she was posing with Galifianakis on the red carpet.

She thought no one else could clean the machines at the laundromat as effectively as she could, so she continued to do so even after her name became well-known in and around Hollywood.

Even though Haist had a challenging life, she never saw herself as homeless. She claimed that she never let herself fall in with the wrong crowd and that she never let herself become down about anything.

Haist said that when her friends visited, they would inform her that she was well-known, even though she didn’t believe this to be true and was simply going about her daily activities. Sadly, Haist passed away at the end of 2021, but her documentary honors her legacy.