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

A Touch of Frost

Waking the Dead

Brookside

Inspector Morse

Would I Lie to You?

Loose Women

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

All Movies (47)

• Welcome to Borovia2026 · as Matrashka
• Stuffed2025 · as Lily
• Fackham Hall2025 · as Great Aunt Bonaparte
• Big Winners2025 · as Edith Thistle
• The Big Snow of '472024 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy2023 · as Self
• Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family2023 · as Barbara Royle (archive footage)
• The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa2023 · as Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
• Downton Abbey: A New Era2022 · as Gladys Denker
• Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story2021 · as Self
• Help2021 · as Gloria
• David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star2020 · as Narrator
• The Cure2019 · as Bella Bailey
• Death on the Tyne2018 · as Colleen
• Walk Like a Panther2018 · as Gladys
• Diana and the Paparazzi2017 · as Narrator (voice)
• Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story2017 · as Narrator
• Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next2017 · as Self - Narrator
• British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves2016 · as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
• World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys2016 · as Self
• Golden Years2016 · as Nancy
• The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One2015 · as Self
• Caring for the Recently Deceased2014 · as Marjoram Bryon
• The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring2012 · as Barbara Royle
• Lapland2011 · as Eileen Lewis
• The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers2010 · as Barbara
• The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa2010 · as Self
• The Turn of the Screw2009 · as Sarah Grose
• The Golden Egg Cup2009 · as Barbara Royle
• Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It2009 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• The Royle Family: The New Sofa2008 · as Barbara Royle
• Imagine Me & You2006 · as Ella
• Liverpool FC: One Night in May2005 · as Self
• The Virgin Mary2002 · as Self - Presenter
• There's Only One Paul McCartney2002 · as Self
• New Year's Day2001 · as Mrs. Fisher
• Score2001 · as Maggie
• Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll1999
• Brookside: Friday the 13th1998 · as Sheila Grant
• The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds1998 · as Pat Phoenix
• Brookside: The Lost Weekend1997 · as Sheila Grant
• Face1997 · as Alice
• Preaching to the Perverted1997 · as Esmeralda
• Brassed Off1996 · as Vera
• Measure for Measure1994 · as Mistress Overdone
• Bitter Harvest1992 · as Miriam Johnson
• Bilby— · as Nancy

All TV Shows (55)

• Dexter Procter2025 · as Granny Bet
• Play for Today2025 · as Edith Thistle
• Generation Z2024 · as Cecily
• Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two2024 · as Herself
• Truelove2024 · as Marion
• The Responder2022 · as Madge
• Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors2021 · as Narrator
• Time2021 · as June Cobden
• Taskmaster’s New Year Treat2021 · as Self
• The Cockfields2019 · as Sue
• DNA Journey2019 · as Self
• Celebrity Gogglebox2019
• Age Before Beauty2018 · as Ivy-Rae Regan
• Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule2017 · as Self
• Rovers2016 · as Doreen
• Being Eileen2013 · as Eileen Lewis
• Gates2012 · as Miss Hunter
• Celebrity Antiques Road Trip2011 · as Self - Participant
• Sugartown2011
• Baby Hospital2011
• Downton Abbey2010 · as Miss Denker
• A Passionate Woman2010 · as Betty (1980s)
• Little Dorrit2008 · as Affery / Affery Flintwinch
• The Alan Titchmarsh Show2007 · as Self
• Would I Lie to You?2007 · as Self
• Jam and Jerusalem2006 · as Sal Vine
• The Street2006
• Who Do You Think You Are?2004 · as Self
• The Paul O'Grady Show2004
• Strictly Come Dancing2004 · as Self
• Timeshift2002 · as Self - Narrator
• Cutting It2002 · as Caroline Ferraday
• My Uncle Silas2001 · as Mrs Betts
• Waking the Dead2001 · as Dr. Grace Foley
• Finest Hour1999 · as Commentary
• Loose Women1999 · as Self
• Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll1999 · as Irma
• The Royle Family1998 · as Barbara Royle
• The Jump1998 · as Maeve Brunos
• Duck Patrol1998 · as Val Rutland
• Parkinson1998 · as Self
• Crime Traveller1997 · as Detective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham
• Hetty Wainthropp Investigates1996 · as Helga Allowby
• Hollyoaks1995 · as Sheila Grant
• Luv1993
• Full Stretch1993 · as Grace Robbins
• A Touch of Frost1992 · as Phyllis Bowman
• Goodbye Cruel World1992 · as Barbara Grade
• Performance1991 · as Mistress Overdone
• In Suspicious Circumstances1991 · as Edith Rosse
• Medics1990
• Inspector Morse1987 · as Mrs. Bailey
• ScreenPlay1986 · as Miriam Johnson
• Brookside1982 · as Sheila Grant
• Today1952 · as Self