American Horror Story: What Moira's Real Age Is (& Why She's So Old)

In American Horror Story season 1, Murder House, Moira O'Hara had the ability to shift the appearance of her age based on who she encountered.

Moira O'Hara had two distinct personas in American Horror Story's debut season which complicated the ability to pinpoint her age. The character was portrayed by both Alexandra Breckenridge and Frances Conroy throughout season 1, Murder House. The latter of which was even nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 64th Emmy Awards. Here's an explanation into Moira's differing appearances and how that played into her age.

Moira was the housekeeper at the infamous "Murder House" and continued the residence's upkeep when the Harmon family moved in. To women and children, Moira appeared to be an older maid (Conroy) with a conservative sense of style. In the eyes of men, she was portrayed as a young, seductive woman (Breckenridge). Moira was first given the job as the housekeeper in the '80s when Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange) lived there with her husband, Hugo (Eric Close). Around that time, Hugo tried to force himself on Moira. Constance walked in on the encounter and killed both Moira and her husband. Since Moira's body was buried in the backyard, she was forced to stay on the property as a ghost.

Out of all the ghosts trapped at the Murder House, Moira was the only one with the ability to age shift. She held onto her mature features until she had the opportunity to expose unfaithful men like Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott). Despite the murky rules when it comes to ghosts in American Horror Story, the spirits do not age. So even though Moira appeared much older in the 2011 timeline, she was still the same age as when she was murdered. The series never specified her age, but it's simple to calculate that she was in her late 20s based on certain details.

Breaking Down Moira's Appearance In Murder House

Breckenridge was 29-years-old when she portrayed the younger version of Moira in season 1. With this detail, it was assumed that the character was meant to be in her mid to late 20s when she was hired as a housekeeper. She worked there for a bit before she started an affair with Hugo. When Moira was shot and killed, it was 1983. This would mean that Moira was probably born in the mid-1950s.

Conroy, on the other hand, was 58 when the scored her first role on American Horror Story. If the character aged at a normal pace, she would have been nearing 60-years-old during the season's primary timeline. 28 years had passed since Moira's death, so the math adds up to suggest that the character's age shift was intended to show what she would have looked like, had she lived up to the year the Harmon family moved into the house. By the end of the season, Moira explained that her "real" appearance was her aged depiction. Certain characters—like Ben—wouldn't see her true form until they got to know her as a person rather than focusing on her attractive qualities. Moira's older visage was a representation of her soul, which continued to age even though her body couldn't.