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Phyllis Coates, who rose to prominence as the first actress to portray Lois Lane, died Wednesday, her daughter told The Hollywood Reporter. She was 96. Coates first played the Daily Planet reporter alongside George Reeves’ Superman in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men. The pair reprised their roles in all 26 episodes of Adventures of Superman, with Coates choosing to depart the show after one season. Coates starred in Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger and Leave It to Beaver in her extensive film and television career. Coates, whose four marriages ended in divorce, is survived by her daughter and granddaughter.
