Phyllis Coates, TV's First Lois Lane, Dead at 96

Phyllis Coates, the actress who first played the iconic Daily Planet Reporter Lois Lane on the small screen, has died.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the beloved actress died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.

She was 96.

Coates first appeared in the superhero universe opposite George Reeves in the 1951 movie Superman and the Mole Men.

The movie was a roaring success and paved the way for the syndicated TV series The Adventures of Superman.

While the series lasted six seasons and had a devoted following, Coates stepped away following the first.

Noel Neill took over the role for the next five seasons, keeping Lois Lane a part of the franchise.

Neill had previously played the role on two occasions.

Coates' decision to leave was reportedly driven by her desire to work on a pilot for a series that would find her starring opposite Jack Carson and Allen Jenkins.

Unfortunately, the series never saw the light of day.

Coates previously opened up about her time working on the Superman series, revealing that she and her co-stars put up with a lot of stuff.

"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," the actress said in Tom Weaver's 2006 book, Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes.

"Not too long ago I saw an episode ["Night of Terror"] where I got knocked out!"

She was born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell on January 15, 1927, in Wichita Falls, Texas.

After graduating from Odessa High School, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother.

Once there, she worked as a chorus girl and performed skits in Ken Murray's vaudeville show before appearing in USO tours.

She was also known for her work as Alice in many of the Warner Bros. Joe McDoakes comedy movies.

Coates also starred in movies Jungle Drums of Africa, Panther Girl of the Kongo, and I Was a Teenage Frankenstein.

Additional small screen credits include The Lone Ranger, Leave it To Beaver, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, and many more.

Coates' turn as TV's first Lois Lane paved the way for many other actresses to take on the role, more recently, Elizabeth Tulloch plays the DC comics character on The CW's Superman & Lois.

May Phyllis Coates rest in peace.