“Adventures of Superman” Star Phyllis Coates, TV's First Lois Lane, Dead at 96

Coates, who first portrayed Clark Kent's leading lady for the 1951 film 'Superman and the Mole Men', died of natural causes

Phyllis Coates has died at age 96.

The actress died from natural causes on Wednesday while residing at the Motion Picture Home, her daughter Laura Press confirmed to PEOPLE. The death was "very peaceful," she added.

Remembering her mother's career, Press said, "She gave a lot to the industry and her career passed through so many genres," recounting her time as Lois Lane, in Westerns and even starring in Panther Girl of the Congo.

Coates was best known for her one-season role as Lois Lane in Adventures of Superman — which made her the first actress to play the legendary character on television. The TV role came after Coates stepped into the shoes of Lois for film Superman and the Mole Men in 1951.

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At the time of her death, Coates was the only surviving actor from the series. The show aired six seasons between 1952 and 1958, starring George Reeves, Jack Larson, John Hamilton and Robert Shayne, among others. After season 1, the role of Lois Lane was taken up by Noel Neill, who died in 2016.

Coates’ appeared in 26 episodes, earning $350 for each despite serious stunt work. “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 recounted in an interview with Tom Weaver for the book Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes. “Not too long ago I saw an episode [“Night of Terror”] where I got knocked out!”

Though season 1 was a hit — and Coates was offered five times her season 1 salary to return, she declined. “I really wanted to get out of Superman,” she said in the book.

Related: Margot Kidder, Amy Adams & More Strong Women Who Played Lois Lane on Screen

Her career came full circle when, in 1994, Coates appeared as the mother of Lois Lane in ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. 

After her brief stint on Adventures of Superman, Coates turned her attention to film. The actress appeared in films like I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, The Incredible Petrified World and Blood Arrow. She returned to TV for dozens of appearances, spending the most time on This Is Alice, The Duke and Death Valley Days.

Coates’ last acting project was as part of a video titled Hollywood: The Movie, in 1996, per IMDb.

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The Hollywood Reporter was first to report Coates' death on Thursday. Coates leaves behind three children. Press urged fans to donate to the Humane Society of America in honor of her mother's love of animals.

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