Phyllis Coates, TV's first Lois Lane, dies aged 96
The actress left Adventures of Superman after one season and was succeeded by Noel Neill.
Phyllis Coates, the first actress to play Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane on the small screen, has died at the age of 96, her family have confirmed.
The actress passed away of natural causes on Wednesday (11th October), her daughter Laura Press confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Coates first portrayed strong-willed Lois opposite George Reeves as the Man of Steel in Superman and the Mole Men in 1951, before going on to portray her in the first season of Adventures of Superman, which ran from 1952 to 1958.
However, when sponsorship for Adventures of Superman season 2 took too long to secure, a busy Coates had to step away from the role.
She was succeeded by Noel Neill, who portrayed the character for the remainder of the show’s run.
Decades later, in 1994, Coates starred in one episode of ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, appearing as Ellen Lane, the mother of Teri Hatcher’s Lois.
Her other TV credits include The Abbott and Costello Show, Leave It to Beaver, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke and The Lone Ranger, among others.
On the big screen, the actress appeared in films including I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, Girls in Prison, The Baby Maker, Blood Arrow and Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn.
Tributes have been flooding in for Coates on social media following the tragic news of her passing, with writer Guy Gilchrist penning on Twitter, which was recently rebranded as X: "Sad news this morning. Phyllis Coates passed away on October 11 at 1:07pm (PT) at the age of 96. Phyllis Coates played Lois Lane in the first season (1951), and was the last of the Superman regulars.
"Phyllis was an incredible actress, I LOVED her Lois! Beautiful and great in every other role, too, and a very important part of the superman legacy. We are so grateful for her talents. #phylliscoates #Superman #SupermanLegacy #Hollywood."
Meanwhile, one fan wrote: "R.I.P. Phyllis Coates. She portrayed Lois Lane in the first season of the Adventures of Superman (1951-1957) with George Reeves as Superman. She also appeared in the movie Superman and The Mole Men. #RIPPhyllisCoates #TheAdventuresOfSuperman #ClassicHollywood".
Another added: "Sorry to hear of the passing of Phyllis Coates, still my favorite Lois Lane. However, 96 is a great run! Watch the first season: Lois was a powerhouse who took no guff!"
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
