Phyllis Coates, Star of Adventures of Superman and TV's First Lois Lane, Dies at 96

TV's first Lois Lane, Phyllis Coates, has passed away at the age of 96. Coates played the iconic Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane in Adventures of Superman for one season, which totaled 24 episodes in 1952-1953. Coates' daughter, Laura Press, told The Hollywood Reporter that her mother died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. Before playing Lois Lane in Adventures of Superman, Coates portrayed the heroine opposite George Reeves in 1951's Superman and the Mole Men film, which led to the creation of Adventures of Superman.

Superman and the Mole Men was the Man of Steel's first successful, full-length theatrical film. Phyllis Coates documented in Tom Weaver's 2006 book, Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes, that she was paid about $350 for each episode of Adventures of Superman, with some episodes being shot four or five at one time. "We were nearly blown up, beaten up, exploded, exploited — I guess it was because we were young and dumb, but we put up with a lot of stuff," Coates said in the book. "Not too long ago I saw an episode ["Night of Terror"] where I got knocked out!"

Coates was invited back for Adventures of Superman Season 2. However, she passed on the opportunity after she signed on for another series starring Jack Carson and Allen Jenkins. That show never made it to air. "[Producer] Whitney Ellsworth offered me about four or five times what I was getting if I'd come back. But I really wanted to get out of Superman," Coates said in Weaver's book. Noel Neill replaced Coates as Lois Lane and played the role for the remaining five seasons.

Phyllis Coates was born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell on January 15, 1927 in Wichita Falls, TX. She was discovered in Ken Murray's comedy show. Along with acting, Coates was also a part of USO tours. Her movie credits include Jungle Drums of Africa, Gunfighters of the Northwest, and Panther Girl of the Kongo. As for other TV work, she starred in The Lone Ranger, Perry Mason, Rawhide, Gunsmoke, and more.

Photo credit ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty