Hedy Lamarr’s father is one of the primary reasons she was able to accomplish so much in such a small span of time. Born into a well-to-do family as an only child, Lamarr received a great deal of attention from her father Emil Keisler. A bank director and curious man, he inspired her to look at the world with open eyes. He would often take her for long walks where he would discuss the inner workings of different machines, like the printing press or street cars. These conversations guided Lamarr’s thinking and she was assembling and reassembling machines at the early age of 5.
What Made Hedy Lamarr
Emil Kiesler, geneanet.org, 1907
Her father supported all her meager interests and pushed her to do whatever she desired, investing both time and money into her favored hobbies. She had a virtuoso for theater at a young age that her father supported her in, and allowed her to take acting classes in Vienna as an adolescent, this sparked a lifelong love for acting.
“I'm not ashamed to say that no man I ever met was my fathers equal, and I never loved any man as much.” - Hedy Lamarr