Summary

• Moira O'Hara had two personas in American Horror Story, complicating her age.
• Breckenridge was 29 playing young Moira, while Conroy was 58 as the elder version.
• Moira's spirit aged in the Murder House, unlike other ghosts in American Horror Story.

Moira O'Hara had two distinct personas in American Horror Story's debut season, which complicated the ability to pinpoint her age. Both Alexandra Breckenridge and Frances Conroy portrayed Moira throughout season 1, titled Murder House — and Conroy earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 64th Emmy Awards thanks to her chilling performance as the elder version of Moira. 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 style. In the eyes of men, she appeared as a young, seductive woman (Breckenridge). Moira was first given the job as the housekeeper in the '80s when Constance Langdon lived there with her husband, Hugo (Eric Close). Hugo tried to force himself on Moira. Constance walked in on the encounter and killed both Moira and her husband. Since Constance buried Moira's body in the backyard, her spirit ended up forced to stay on the property as a ghost.

American Horror Story is available to stream on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video

How Old Is Moira O'Hara In American Horror Story?

Moria Was In Her Late 20s When She Died

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. It was 1983 when Constance shot and killed Moira. This would mean Moira was probably born in the mid-1950s. Even though Moira appeared much older in the 2011 timeline, she was still the same age as when she was murdered.

Conroy, on the other hand, was 58 when she scored her first role in American Horror Story.

The series never specified her age, but it's simple to calculate that she was in her late 20s based on certain details. Conroy, on the other hand, was 58 when she scored her first role in American Horror Story. If the character aged normally, she would have been nearing 60-years-old during the season's primary timeline.

Why Is Moira O'Hara So Old?

The Other Ghosts Don't Age In The Murder House

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.

28 years passed since Moira's death, so the math adds up to suggest that the character's age shift showed what she would have looked like, had she lived up to the year the Harmon family moved into the Murder House. By the end of the season, Moira explained that her "real" appearance was her aged depiction. Certain characters 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 represented her soul on American Horror Story, and her ghost continued to age even though her body couldn't.