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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (30)
Stuffed
as Lily
2025
Fackham Hall
as Great Aunt Bonaparte
2025
Big Winners
as Edith Thistle
2025
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
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
as Self
2021
Help
as Gloria
2021
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
as Narrator
2020
The Cure
as Bella Bailey
2019
Death on the Tyne
as Colleen
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
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
as Self - Narrator
2017
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
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
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
as Barbara Royle
2012
Lapland
as Eileen Lewis
2011
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
as Barbara
2010
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
as Self
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 Narrator (voice)
2009
The Royle Family: The New Sofa
as Barbara Royle
2008
TV Shows (20)
Dexter Procter
as Granny Bet
2025
Generation Z
as Cecily
2024
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
as Herself
2024
Truelove
as Marion
2024
The Responder
as Madge
2022
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
as Narrator
2021
Time
as June Cobden
2021
Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
as Self
2021
The Cockfields
as Sue
2019
DNA Journey
as Self
2019
Age Before Beauty
as Ivy-Rae Regan
2018
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
as Self
2017
Rovers
as Doreen
2016
Being Eileen
as Eileen Lewis
2013
Gates
as Miss Hunter
2012
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
as Self - Participant
2011
Sugartown
2011
Baby Hospital
2011
Downton Abbey
as Miss Denker
2010
A Passionate Woman
as Betty (1980s)
2010