Sue Johnston

Personal Info

Birthday

December 7, 1943

(82 years old)

Place of Birth

Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK

Also Known As

Susan Wright

Susan Johnston, OBE

Sue Johnston

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.

Known For

Downton Abbey

Waking the Dead

Inspector Morse

Brookside

A Touch of Frost

Hollyoaks

Help

Performance

Filmography

2025
Big Winners
as Edith Thistle
2024
The Big Snow of '47
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2023
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
as Self
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
as Barbara Royle (archive footage)
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
as Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era
as Gladys Denker
2021
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
as Self
Help
as Gloria
2020
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
as Narrator
2019
The Cure
as Bella Bailey
2018
Death on the Tyne
as Colleen
Walk Like a Panther
as Gladys
2017
Diana and the Paparazzi
as Narrator (voice)
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
as Narrator
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
as Self - Narrator
2016
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
as Self
Golden Years
as Nancy
2015
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
as Self
2014
Caring for the Recently Deceased
as Marjoram Bryon
2012
Barbara's Old Ring
as Barbara Royle
2011
Lapland
as Eileen Lewis
2010
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 Narrator (voice)
2008
The New Sofa
as Barbara Royle
2006
Imagine Me & You
as Ella
2002
The Virgin Mary
as Self - Presenter
2001
Score
as Maggie
2000
New Year's Day
as Mrs. Fisher
1998
Brookside: Friday the 13th
as Sheila Grant
The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
as Pat Phoenix
1997
Brookside: The Lost Weekend
as Sheila Grant
Face
as Alice
Preaching to the Perverted
as Esmeralda
1996
Brassed Off
as Vera
1994
Measure for Measure
as Mistress Overdone
1992
Bitter Harvest
as Miriam Johnson