5. Teri Hatcher
Appeared in: Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman
Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman was very much a Superman story for a new, younger generation (a trend that would continue with the Man of Steel’s small-screen adventures), and a large part of that was down to the fact that it prioritized his relationship with Lois Lane. As a result, Lois wasn’t an observer like us watching Superman’s story play out before her eyes, she was equally as important to that story as the superhero himself.
Teri Hatcher was tasked with playing the iconic role and wasted little time making it her own. At this point, Lois Lane already had an iconic TV history, so there was pressure on Hatcher to succeed, but she quickly did so, offering up a version of the character throughout the show’s four seasons that defined Lois for a whole generation. She was determined like the Lois we knew at that point, but she was also a little sassier, funnier, and for lack-of-a-better-term human, like many of the female icons of the ’90s. The balance was perfection.
All eyes were on the show that almost felt too big for television, and Hatcher was the strongest aspect of that. While elements of Lois and Clark haven’t stood the test of time, Hatcher’s performance is not one of them. It’s easy to see why it’s held in such high regard whenever you watch an episode of the show, and that’s a testament to her endearing and authentic turn as a larger-than-life character.