George Reeves born January 5 , 1914 in Woolstock , Iowa , U.S. - June 16 , 1959 in Beverly Hills , Los Angeles , California , U.S. , was an American actor . George Reeves ( January 5 , 1914 â `` June 16 , 1959 ) was an American actor best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman .