Zach Galifiankis buys homeless woman apartment and takes her to movie premiers

May 23, 2013

As a struggling actor many years ago, Zach Galifianakis met Elizabeth "Mimi" Haist at a local laundromat in Los Angeles. Mimi, now 87 years-old, volunteered at the laundromat surviving off of tips from customers for 18 years.

Two years ago, Galifianakis heard that Mimi had recently become homeless and found her an apartment in Santa Monica. He pays for her rent as well as her utilities. Now he is taking her to red carpet events.

This past week, Galifianakis took Mimi to "The Hangover 3" movie premier.

"If he's in town, he takes me," Mimi told the NY Daily News. "Otherwise he lets me take a friend. I dress up nice and a friend helps me with my makeup. It's fun, not something I've ever dreamed I'd experience. The limo takes me home afterwards."

Mimi loves the attention she gets as an elderly stranger walking next to Galifianakis on the red carpet.

"All the fans were taking photos and I waved at them, I said, 'They don't know who I am!' " says Haist of her red carpet experiences.

Actress Renee Zellweger, a good friend of Galifiankis, chipped in and helped Mimi decorate her new apartment. She often stops by the apartment to bring her groceries.

Mimi's popularity has grown enough that film maker Yaniv Rokah is raising money to make a documentary on her life.

mimi with galifiankis