Sue Johnston
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.
Born: 07 December 1943
Played In
Movie
Jun 2026
Welcome to Borovia
Matrashka
Movie
Dec 2025
Stuffed
Lily
Movie
Dec 2025
Fackham Hall
Great Aunt Bonaparte
TV Show
Dec 2025
Dexter Procter
Granny Bet
Movie
Nov 2025
Big Winners
Edith Thistle
TV Show
Oct 2024
Generation Z
Cecily
TV Show
Mar 2024
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
Herself
TV Show
Jan 2024
Truelove
Marion
Movie
Jan 2024
The Big Snow of '47
Self - Narrator (voice)
Movie
Dec 2023
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
Self
Movie
Dec 2023
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
Barbara Royle (archive footage)
Movie
Sep 2023
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
Movie
Apr 2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Gladys Denker
TV Show
Jan 2022
The Responder
Madge
Movie
Nov 2021
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
Self
Movie
Sep 2021
Help
Gloria
TV Show
Jun 2021
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
Narrator
TV Show
Jun 2021
Time
June Cobden
TV Show
Jan 2021
Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
Self
Movie
Dec 2020
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
Narrator
Movie
Dec 2019
The Cure
Bella Bailey
TV Show
Nov 2019
The Cockfields
Sue
TV Show
Nov 2019
DNA Journey
Self
TV Show
Jun 2019
Celebrity Gogglebox
Movie
Dec 2018
Death on the Tyne
Colleen
TV Show
Jul 2018
Age Before Beauty
Ivy-Rae Regan
Movie
Mar 2018
Walk Like a Panther
Gladys
Movie
Aug 2017
Diana and the Paparazzi
Narrator (voice)
Movie
Apr 2017
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
Narrator
TV Show
Mar 2017
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
Self
Movie
Feb 2017
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
Self - Narrator
Movie
Sep 2016
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
TV Show
May 2016
Rovers
Doreen
Movie
May 2016
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
Self
Movie
Apr 2016
Golden Years
Nancy
Movie
Nov 2015
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
Self
Movie
Jul 2014
Caring for the Recently Deceased
Marjoram Bryon
TV Show
Feb 2013
Being Eileen
Eileen Lewis
Movie
Dec 2012
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
Barbara Royle
TV Show
Aug 2012
Gates
Miss Hunter
Movie
Dec 2011
Lapland
Eileen Lewis
TV Show
Oct 2011
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Self - Participant
TV Show
Jul 2011
Sugartown
TV Show
Jun 2011
Baby Hospital
Movie
Dec 2010
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
Barbara
Movie
Nov 2010
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Self
TV Show
Sep 2010
Downton Abbey
Miss Denker
TV Show
Apr 2010
A Passionate Woman
Betty (1980s)
Movie
Dec 2009
The Turn of the Screw
Sarah Grose
Movie
Dec 2009
The Golden Egg Cup
Barbara Royle
Movie
May 2009
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
Self - Narrator (voice)
Movie
Dec 2008
The Royle Family: The New Sofa
Barbara Royle
TV Show
Oct 2008
Little Dorrit
Affery / Affery Flintwinch
TV Show
Sep 2007
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self
TV Show
Jun 2007
Would I Lie to You?
Self
TV Show
Nov 2006
Jam and Jerusalem
Sal Vine
TV Show
Apr 2006
The Street
Movie
Jan 2006
Imagine Me & You
Ella
Movie
May 2005
Liverpool FC: One Night in May
Self
TV Show
Oct 2004
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self
TV Show
Oct 2004
The Paul O'Grady Show
TV Show
May 2004
Strictly Come Dancing
Self
Movie
Dec 2002
The Virgin Mary
Self - Presenter
TV Show
Oct 2002
Timeshift
Self - Narrator
Movie
Jun 2002
There's Only One Paul McCartney
Self
TV Show
Apr 2002
Cutting It
Caroline Ferraday
Movie
Nov 2001
New Year's Day
Mrs. Fisher
TV Show
Oct 2001
My Uncle Silas
Mrs Betts
TV Show
Jun 2001
Waking the Dead
Dr. Grace Foley
Movie
Jun 2001
Score
Maggie
TV Show
Nov 1999
Finest Hour
Commentary
TV Show
Sep 1999
Loose Women
Self
Movie
Sep 1999
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
TV Show
Sep 1999
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
Irma
Movie
Nov 1998
Brookside: Friday the 13th
Sheila Grant
TV Show
Sep 1998
The Royle Family
Barbara Royle
TV Show
Sep 1998
The Jump
Maeve Brunos
Movie
Aug 1998
The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
Pat Phoenix
TV Show
Jul 1998
Duck Patrol
Val Rutland
TV Show
Jan 1998
Parkinson
Self
Movie
Nov 1997
Brookside: The Lost Weekend
Sheila Grant
Movie
Sep 1997
Face
Alice
Movie
Jul 1997
Preaching to the Perverted
Esmeralda
TV Show
Mar 1997
Crime Traveller
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham
Movie
Nov 1996
Brassed Off
Vera
TV Show
Jan 1996
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Helga Allowby
TV Show
Oct 1995
Hollyoaks
Sheila Grant
Movie
Nov 1994
Measure for Measure
Mistress Overdone
TV Show
Mar 1993
Luv
TV Show
Jan 1993
Full Stretch
Grace Robbins
TV Show
Dec 1992
A Touch of Frost
Phyllis Bowman
Movie
Jul 1992
Bitter Harvest
Miriam Johnson
TV Show
Jan 1992
Goodbye Cruel World
Barbara Grade
TV Show
Oct 1991
Performance
Mistress Overdone
TV Show
Jun 1991
In Suspicious Circumstances
Edith Rosse
TV Show
Nov 1990
Medics
TV Show
Jan 1987
Inspector Morse
Mrs. Bailey
TV Show
Jul 1986
ScreenPlay
Miriam Johnson
TV Show
Nov 1982
Brookside
Sheila Grant
TV Show
Jan 1952
Today
Self
Movie
Bilby
Nancy