Superman is one of the most well-known and beloved superheroes of all time. Since his introduction in comic books in 1938, Superman has been adapted for a variety of genres, including radio, animation, theatre, film, and television.
In the realm of live-action film and television, there are eight actors who have taken on the role over the years. Many fans have their favorite portrayal of Superman, whether it be for nostalgic reasons, or for the suit, or for the way the actor balances both Clark Kent and Superman successfully. It could also be for the way that their fave Clark/Superman interacts with his regular friends and foes, such as Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, or the love of his life, Lois Lane.
Lois Lane has been featured in the majority of Superman adaptations. As Superman's main love interest, she is an ambitious reporter, who in many adaptations wants to know more about Superman--while working alongside Clark Kent. To date, there have been eight actresses who have played Lois Lane in a major role in a live-action project.
Noel Neill
Noel Neill is considered the first woman to portray Lois Lane in live-action onscreen. She played Lois to Kirk Alyn's Superman in the movie serials Superman in 1948 and Atom Man Vs Superman in 1950. She was so well-liked that she was brought back to play Lois in the television series Adventures of Superman from season two onto the sixth and final season, this time with George Reeves as her Superman.
Neill's Lois was a perky intrepid reporter, and was well dressed, clever, sweet, and sympathetic, infatuated with Superman while also being a career woman. She proved very popular with young female audiences, who found her likable and accessible. Popular with Superman fans until her death in 2016, Neill had small roles in multiple other Superman projects, including Lois Lane's mother in Superman in 1978, in Superboy in 1991, and in Superman Returns in 2006.
Phyllis Coates
Before Neill, Phyllis Coates was the first actress to play Lois Lane alongside George Reeves as Superman. She starred with him in Superman and the Mole Man in 1951 and in the first season of Adventures of Superman, which began airing in 1952. Her version of the character was sharper and tougher than Neill's version, showing Lois as strong-willed, efficient, and resourceful. Prior commitments made Coates unable to continue in Adventures of Superman, which is why Neill replaced her. While she wanted to be distanced from Superman as a franchise in the years directly following the show, Coates later softened on the matter, and appeared as Lois Lane's mother in the popular television show Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the 1990s.
Margot Kidder
Margot Kidder played Lois Lane in the most individual Superman films to date, starring alongside Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987). Her version of Lois Lane is considered one of the most iconic love interests in film. Kidder was hired for her "spark and vitality," as well as for the unique physicality she brought to the role. This version of Lois is often praised as one of the best live-action Lois Lanes; she's both witty and stubborn, perky and ambitious, clumsy and laidback, and a focused no-nonsense reporter. She has served as the blueprint for many of the other live-action versions of Lois that came after her.
Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher was the first Lois to get double billing with her Superman, starring with Dean Cain in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman from 1993 to 1997. This version of Lois is a cynical reporter, who is witty, independent, and stubborn, while learning to share and be vulnerable. Her relationship with Clark/Superman is more fleshed out, starting as a friendship and work partnership before they get into a romantic relationship.
They banter and fight and flirt, with the will they/won't they dynamic carrying on through much of the show. This Lois is also given the opportunity to take the lead in situations while working with Clark, much more often than her predecessors. Years after the show ended, Teri continued the traidtion begun by Neill and Coates by playing Lois Lane's mother in the television series Smallville in 2010. She has also appeared on Supergirl.
Erica Durance
Erica Durance portrayed Lois Lane in the television show Smallville between 2004 and 2011, with Tom Welling as her Clark Kent. Surprisingly, this version of Lois is not Clark's original love interest in the series. She first enters as a recurring character, the cousin of one of Clark's best friends who comes to town to investigate her cousin's supposed death. Her relationship with Clark/Superman is platonic for several seasons, with the two of them often bickering and butting heads even while friends before she begins to fall in love with him. She's a bit of a tomboy and is independent, fast-talking, and not afraid to get into trouble. She evolves over time, showing more complexity and vulnerability. This version of Lois Lane appears--with her Clark--in the Arrowverse crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth starred as Lois Lane in 2006's Superman Returns, with Brandon Routh as her Superman. In a departure from the rest of this list, this film is set years after Superman disappears, leaving Lois, who he was in a romantic relationship with, behind. Due to this, she is jaded and disillusioned with him, and is known for writing an article about why the world doesn't need Superman. She is still caring and loving, now engaged to another man and raising her young son Jason. Over the course of the film, both Clark and Superman must gain back her love and trust. This version of Lois was mentioned by Brandon Routh's Superman in Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Amy Adams
Amy Adams has played the Lois Lane to Henry Cavill's Superman in Man of Steel (2013), Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and in Justice League (2017) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021). The writers wanted to update this Lois to better reflect the state of journalism today, with her being more of a hands-on journalist. She first encounters Clark when she flies to the arctic to research a story about a possible alien occurrence. She is intelligent and independent, not afraid to get her hands dirty, and often the first to put important pieces together. She is also compassionate and empathetic, firmly believing in heroism and hope, even when Superman himself is in doubt.
Elizabeth Tulloch
The latest to join the line-up of Lois Lanes, Elizabeth Tulloch plays Lois in the Arrowverse, first appearing in Supergirl and now in Superman and Lois alongside Tyler Hoechlin. Unlike most of the other Lois's on this list, she is introduced as already in an established relationship with Clark/Superman. She is settled into her relationship and into her place in his life. She is determined and brave, playing an important role in the action and helping Superman and his fellow superheroes out when needed. She is also kind, compassionate, and a supportive mother to her children. As with all the others, this Lois Lane is a reporter, quitting the Daily Planet in Superman and Lois and going to work at the Smallville Gazette. Only time will tell what else this version of Lois will achieve.