Hayden McClaine


Hayden McClaine
Continuity:	American Horror Story
Series:	"Murder House"
Notability:	Antagonist
Type:	Psychopath
Occupation:	Student
Gender:	Female
Race:	Ghost
Location:	Boston, Massachusetts
Status:	Deceased
Born:	1989
Died:	2011
First:	"Home Invasion"
Final:	"Afterbirth"
Actor:	Kate Mara

Hayden McClaine is a fictional ghost and a recurring character on the FX Network television series American Horror Story. Played by actress Kate Mara, she was introduced in the season one episode, "Home Invasion", which is part of the "Murder House" story-arc. The character made seven appearances in the series in total.

Biography[]

Hayden McClaine was this crazy little chick from Boston, Massachusetts. She was a college student who tutored under psychiatrist Ben Harmon. Hayden and Ben started having an affair, which Ben claimed was the result of a personal coping mechanism after suffering from the loss of a child and the strain it put on his marriage. Ben's wife, Vivien Harmon, found them in bed together, and as one might expect, the crap hit the fan. After a lengthy period of anger and resentment, the Harmons attempted to heal their family by relocating to Los Angeles, California. Hayden was left behind. But wait, that's not all! In true soap opera fashion, she was naturally pregnant with Ben's child. ^[1]
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Crazy-ass Hayden found Ben's number and began calling him, stressing on about how much she needed him. Ben made a trip back out to Boston to deal with Hayden, but there were still some lustful sparks between the two. Ben wanted to bring closure to the entire affair, but Hayden was a tad obsessive, and wasn't willing to let him go.

She eventually followed him back out to L.A., where she began professing her love to him, declaring that they needed to be together, so forth and so on. To Ben's regret and at least partial relief, a creepy stalker named Larry Harvey bashed Hayden across the back of the brain pan with a shovel, killing her. ^[3]

This was not exactly the end to Ben's problem's however. He buried Hayden's body in the back yard, and then built a gazebo over top of the burial spot. What Ben didn't realize at the time, was that the "Murder House" that his wife and daughter had moved into was cursed. Anyone who died on the estate, became a ghost whose soul was now forever tied to the house. As if Hayden wasn't a big enough pain in the ass in life, she was an even more bitter pill to swallow in death.

She began appearing before Ben, which naturally freaked him out. He tried having her arrested, but Hayden just disappeared from the back of the cop car. She then began tormenting Vivien Harmon, even going so far as to threaten their daughter, Violet.

Eventually, Hayden turned her undead eyes towards another subject of her appeal - Travis Wanderley. Travis was a wannabe actor, who had just broken up with his sugar mama - next door neighbor Constance Langdon. Travis met Hayden, and like most, did not yet realize that she was a ghost. Travis and Hayden engaged in two bouts of revenge sex in the mansion's basement, but afterward, Travis expressed his desire to return to Constance. Hayden, forever battling rejection, stabbed him to death. ^[4]

Along with all of the others who had died in the Murder House, Hayden McClaine's restless spirit continued to inhabit the home, and would continue to do so as long as it remained standing. ^[5]

Notes & Trivia[]

The character of Hayden McClaine was created by director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and writers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.

Actress Kate Mara is the older sister of Rooney Mara, who was born in 1985. Rooney is best known in the horror genre for her portrayal of Nancy Holbrook in the 2010 remake of the slasher film series A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Appearances[]

External links[]

References[]

[1] American Horror Story: Pilot

[2] American Horror Story: Home Invasion

[3] American Horror Story: Murder House

[4] American Horror Story: Smoldering Children

[5] American Horror Story: Afterbirth

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