‘Superman’ Star Noel Neill Dies at 95

Noel Neill, who was the second actress to play Lois Lane on TV’s “The Adventures of Superman,” died on Sunday at her home in Tucson, Arizona after a long illness. She was 95.

Born on November 25, 1920 in Minneapolis, Neill began her career as a player at Paramount Pictures in the 1940s, appearing in many of the studio’s feature films and short subjects. In the mid-1940s, Neill became a familiar face in many of Monogram Pictures’ features including the recurring role of Betty Rogers. She appeared in the last of the original Charlie Chan movies, “Sky Dragon” in 1949, and also played damsels in distress in a series of Monogram Westerns and Republic Pictures serials. Overall, Neill appeared in more than 40 films.

In 1948, Neill was cast in 15 episodes of the movie series “Superman,” based on the comic books and the radio show. When Phyllis Coates exited “The Adventures of Superman” after one season, Neill inherited the role of Lois Lane in 1953 and remained with the syndicated half-hour through its demise in 1957. She returned a few times to appear in Superman films — including as Lois Lane’s mother in “Superman” with Christopher Reeve in 1978, “Superboy” in 1991, and “Superman Returns” in 2006.

Neill was married three times and has no known survivors.