The latest episode of HBO‘s high-stakes finance drama, Industry, delivered a scene that is getting people talking. In Season 4, Episode 3, titled “Habseligkeiten,” the dynamic between the powerful couple Yasmin and Henry takes a shocking turn when they invite their assistant, Hayley Clay, into their bedroom. The scene is more than just a dramatic plot twist; it is a complex look at control, desire, and the games people play for power. Actress Kiernan Shipka, who plays the ambitious Hayley, recently shared her insights into what was really happening in that castle bedroom.
For Shipka, who many viewers still remember as the young Sally Draper from Mad Men, the role of Hayley Clay is a clear step into more mature and complex work. She describes her character as a “wild card” who is always playing her own strategic game. The now-iconic threesome scene, which takes place during a business trip to a castle owned by a controversial Austrian financier, is a key moment where those hidden games come to the surface.
Inside the Scene: Three Characters, Three Agendas
The setup occurs when Hayley, who works as an executive assistant for both Henry Muck (Kit Harington) and Tender founder Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella), brings documents to Yasmin and Henry’s room late at night. What happens next is orchestrated by Yasmin (Marisa Abela), who sees an opportunity to assert power. She encourages her husband to have sex with Hayley and then joins in herself.
Shipka explains that while the three characters are physically together, they are each on a completely different emotional journey. “It’s a loaded scene for all three characters. All three characters have very specific journeys in that scene, and they’re very kind of separate, even though they’re all there,” she said.
- Yasmin’s Motive: According to the actors and creators, Yasmin is using the encounter to reclaim a sense of power within her marriage and over her husband. Marisa Abela told Decider that this is the moment in the season where Yasmin holds the most power, something she deeply craves.
- Henry’s Reluctance: Kit Harington, who plays Henry, offered a different perspective, noting that his character is the one being manipulated into something he does not want to do. Henry has been working to address his personal issues, and this scene represents a “major fissure” in his relationship with Yasmin.
- Hayley’s Calculation: For Shipka, the key question was about Hayley’s long-term goal. “I think she definitely does [have an ulterior motive],” Shipka confirmed. She believes Hayley is fully aware of the power dynamics at play and is actively gathering “raw materials” to use to her advantage later. Hayley presents herself as a tipsy, fun-seeking employee, but underneath, she is making a calculated power move.
Hayley Clay: More Than Meets the Eye
Kiernan Shipka describes Hayley as someone who “wears a lot of different masks”. Audiences first meet her in the Season 4 premiere as a hard-partying woman who brings a stranger home from a club, only to violently throw him out when she learns he is a journalist investigating her company. The next time we see her, she is the picture of professional efficiency in the office.
This contrast is intentional. “She is revealed to be a lot more than meets the eye,” Shipka said. Hayley is a master of reading a room and adapting her persona to suit her needs. She has no solid allegiance to anyone at Tender and is solely focused on advancing her own position. Her relationship with Yasmin is built on this shaky ground of mutual attraction and deep mistrust.
“Hayley and Yasmin have a kind of unspoken chemistry throughout the season,” Shipka noted. “Certainly the relationship is not built on trust. Hayley presents as someone who can easily be manipulated… but as the season goes on, those dynamics shift and we see just how cunning and smart she is.”
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A Career Pivot for Kiernan Shipka
Taking on the role of Hayley Clay marks a significant moment in Shipka’s career. Having started acting at age six on Mad Men and later starring in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, she is now consciously stepping into more adult roles.
“I wasn’t necessarily saying at the beginning of last year I wanted to play something that’s more mature and more adult, but I think I did,” she told the LA Times. “I think deep down I wanted to do something that felt more in-line with being what 25 at the time felt like to me.”
The Industry creators, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, were excited by the idea of casting her against type. Down mentioned there was a “cosmic circularity” in having Don Draper’s daughter engage in the show’s intense, provocative world. They even joked about the scene’s notoriety, with Kay quipping, “I don’t think her dad, I don’t think Don [Draper] would be very proud.”
For Shipka, the challenge was part of the appeal. She trusted the creative team to handle daring material with care. “It’s brave and it’s rule-breaking and it’s pushing limits. And I think that’s why everyone’s excited about it,” she said.
The Aftermath and What Comes Next
The consequences of the threesome ripple through the rest of the episode and will continue to impact the season. Henry is visibly uncomfortable afterward and later tries to distance Hayley from Yasmin. The event fundamentally changes the power balance between all three characters, with Hayley gaining a stronger hand in her dealings with the couple.
As Tender continues its risky business moves, including trying to woo a fascist-leaning banker played by Sid Phoenix, the personal and professional lives of its employees remain dangerously intertwined. Hayley Clay, the apparent assistant, has now positioned herself at the center of the storm.
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