The Only Woman in the Room

Remembered by history as the glamorous Hedy Lamarr, Hedy Kiesler is born to a wealthy Austrian-Jewish family during WW1. From a young age, her education is supported and enriched by her father, who speaks with his daughter about science, politics, and art. These discussions instill in Hedy a desire to understand and be understood, an endeavor that becomes a lifelong challenge hindered by her exceptional beauty. As she comes up in the world, Hedy learns to use acting to ingratiate herself to others. Only when she steps onto a stage does she realize “the breadth of [her] gift” (11). Acting allows her to “bury” herself and wear any mask she feels, influencing the audience as she wishes. However, she becomes so comfortable performing, that she never learns to stop. Instead, Hedy lives beneath the mask, using the world’s perception of her to her advantage when she can.

Hedy is driven by empathy and ambition. In the first half of her life, her decisions are for the benefit of those she loves. While she is in Austria, her concern is primarily for those she is directly connected to, like her parents. This drives her to remain with Fritz despite the abuse and his alignment with fascist antisemites, even helping him with agendas she is not aligned with in hopes that he can protect her family.