Sue Johnston
Born: 1943-12-07 in Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Susan Johnston, OBE (née Wright; born 7 December 1943) is an English actress known for playing Sheila Grant in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1982–1990), Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy The Royle Family (1998–2000, 2006, 2008–2010, 2012), Grace Foley in the BBC drama Waking the Dead (2000–2011), Gloria Price in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2012–2014) and Miss Denker in the ITV drama Downton Abbey (2014–2015). She won the 2000 British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress and was nominated for the 2000 BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Performance for The Royle Family.
Filmography
2026
- Welcome to Borovia as Matrashka
2025
- Fackham Hall as Great Aunt Bonaparte
- Play for Today as Edith Thistle
- Stuffed as Lily
- Dexter Procter as Granny Bet
- Big Winners as Edith Thistle
2024
- Truelove as Marion
- Generation Z as Cecily
- Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two as Herself
- The Big Snow of '47 as Self - Narrator (voice)
2023
- The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa as Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
- Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy as Self
- Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family as Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2022
- The Responder as Madge
- Downton Abbey: A New Era as Gladys Denker
2021
- Time as June Cobden
- Taskmaster’s New Year Treat as Self
- Help as Gloria
- Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors as Narrator
- Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story as Self
2020
- David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star as Narrator
2019
- Celebrity Gogglebox
- DNA Journey as Self
- The Cockfields as Sue
- The Cure as Bella Bailey
2018
- Age Before Beauty as Ivy-Rae Regan
- Walk Like a Panther as Gladys
- Death on the Tyne as Colleen
2017
- Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule as Self
- Diana and the Paparazzi as Narrator (voice)
- Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next as Self - Narrator
- Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story as Narrator
2016
- Rovers as Doreen
- Golden Years as Nancy
- British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
- World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys as Self
2015
2014
- Caring for the Recently Deceased as Marjoram Bryon
2013
- Being Eileen as Eileen Lewis
2012
- Gates as Miss Hunter
- The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring as Barbara Royle
2011
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- Lapland as Eileen Lewis
- Sugartown
- Baby Hospital
2010
- Downton Abbey as Miss Denker
- A Passionate Woman as Betty (1980s)
- The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers as Barbara
- The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa as Self
2009
- The Turn of the Screw as Sarah Grose
- The Golden Egg Cup as Barbara Royle
- Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It as Self - Narrator (voice)
2008
- Little Dorrit as Affery / Affery Flintwinch
- The Royle Family: The New Sofa as Barbara Royle
2007
- Would I Lie to You? as Self
- The Alan Titchmarsh Show as Self
2006
- Jam and Jerusalem as Sal Vine
- The Street
- Imagine Me & You as Ella
2005
- Liverpool FC: One Night in May as Self
2004
- The Paul O'Grady Show
- Strictly Come Dancing as Self
- Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
2002
- Timeshift as Self - Narrator
- Cutting It as Caroline Ferraday
- There's Only One Paul McCartney as Self
- The Virgin Mary as Self - Presenter
2001
- Waking the Dead as Dr. Grace Foley
- My Uncle Silas as Mrs Betts
- Score as Maggie
- New Year's Day as Mrs. Fisher
1999
- Loose Women as Self
- Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll as Irma
- Finest Hour as Commentary
- Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1998
- Parkinson as Self
- The Royle Family as Barbara Royle
- Duck Patrol as Val Rutland
- The Jump as Maeve Brunos
- The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds as Pat Phoenix
- Brookside: Friday the 13th as Sheila Grant
1997
- Crime Traveller as Detective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham
- Face as Alice
- Preaching to the Perverted as Esmeralda
- Brookside: The Lost Weekend as Sheila Grant
1996
- Hetty Wainthropp Investigates as Helga Allowby
- Brassed Off as Vera
1995
- Hollyoaks as Sheila Grant
1994
- Measure for Measure as Mistress Overdone
1993
- Full Stretch as Grace Robbins
- Luv
1992
- A Touch of Frost as Phyllis Bowman
- Bitter Harvest as Miriam Johnson
- Goodbye Cruel World as Barbara Grade
1991
- Performance as Mistress Overdone
- In Suspicious Circumstances as Edith Rosse
1990
1987
- Inspector Morse as Mrs. Bailey
1986
- ScreenPlay as Miriam Johnson
1982
- Brookside as Sheila Grant
1952
- Today as Self