Acting

Sue Johnston

Born 1943-12-07 · Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK

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.

Credits

Newest first

The Broken Arrow
as Mrs. Barnes
2026
Ann Droid
as Sue
2026
Welcome to Borovia
as Matrashka
2026
Stuffed
as Lily
2025
Fackham Hall
as Great Aunt Bonaparte
2025
Dexter Procter
as Granny Bet
2025
Big Winners
as Edith Thistle
2025
Play for Today
as Edith Thistle
2025
Generation Z
as Cecily
2024
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
as Herself
2024
Truelove
as Marion
2024
The Big Snow of '47
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2024
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
as Self
2023
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
as Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2023
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
as Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2023
Downton Abbey: A New Era
as Gladys Denker
2022
The Responder
as Madge
2022
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
as Self
2021
Help
as Gloria
2021
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
as Narrator
2021
Time
as June Cobden
2021
Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
as Self
2021
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
as Narrator
2020
The Cure
as Bella Bailey
2019
The Cockfields
as Sue
2019
DNA Journey
as Self
2019
Celebrity Gogglebox
2019
Death on the Tyne
as Colleen
2018
Age Before Beauty
as Ivy-Rae Regan
2018
Walk Like a Panther
as Gladys
2018
Diana and the Paparazzi
as Narrator (voice)
2017
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
as Narrator
2017
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
as Self
2017
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
as Self - Narrator
2017
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016
Rovers
as Doreen
2016
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
as Self
2016
Golden Years
as Nancy
2016
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
as Self
2015
Caring for the Recently Deceased
as Marjoram Bryon
2014
Being Eileen
as Eileen Lewis
2013
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
as Barbara Royle
2012
Gates
as Miss Hunter
2012
Lapland
as Eileen Lewis
2011
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
as Self - Participant
2011
Sugartown
2011
Baby Hospital
2011
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
as Barbara
2010
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
as Self
2010
Downton Abbey
as Miss Denker
2010
A Passionate Woman
as Betty (1980s)
2010
The Turn of the Screw
as Sarah Grose
2009
The Golden Egg Cup
as Barbara Royle
2009
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2009
The Royle Family: The New Sofa
as Barbara Royle
2008
Little Dorrit
as Affery / Affery Flintwinch
2008
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
as Self
2007
Would I Lie to You?
as Self
2007
Jam and Jerusalem
as Sal Vine
2006
The Street
2006
Imagine Me & You
as Ella
2006
Liverpool FC: One Night in May
as Self
2005
Who Do You Think You Are?
as Self
2004
The Paul O'Grady Show
2004
Strictly Come Dancing
as Self
2004
The Virgin Mary
as Self - Presenter
2002
Timeshift
as Self - Narrator
2002
There's Only One Paul McCartney
as Self
2002
Cutting It
as Caroline Ferraday
2002
New Year's Day
as Mrs. Fisher
2001
My Uncle Silas
as Mrs Betts
2001
Waking the Dead
as Dr. Grace Foley
2001
Score
as Maggie
2001
Finest Hour
as Commentary
1999
Loose Women
as Self
1999
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
as Irma
1999
Brookside: Friday the 13th
as Sheila Grant
1998
The Royle Family
as Barbara Royle
1998
The Jump
as Maeve Brunos
1998