Sue Johnston

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 103

Movies (47)

Welcome to Borovia
2026
Matrashka
Stuffed
2025
Lily
Fackham Hall
2025
Great Aunt Bonaparte
Big Winners
2025
Edith Thistle
The Big Snow of '47
2024
Self - Narrator (voice)
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
2023
Self
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
2023
Barbara Royle (archive footage)
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
2023
Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022
Gladys Denker
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
2021
Self
Help
2021
Gloria
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
2020
Narrator
The Cure
2019
Bella Bailey
Death on the Tyne
2018
Colleen
Walk Like a Panther
2018
Gladys
Diana and the Paparazzi
2017
Narrator (voice)
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
2017
Narrator
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
2017
Self - Narrator
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
2016
Self
Golden Years
2016
Nancy
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
2015
Self
Caring for the Recently Deceased
2014
Marjoram Bryon
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
2012
Barbara Royle
Lapland
2011
Eileen Lewis
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
2010
Barbara
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
2010
Self
The Turn of the Screw
2009
Sarah Grose
The Golden Egg Cup
2009
Barbara Royle
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
2009
Self - Narrator (voice)