Sue Johnston
Known for Acting · 103 credits
- Born
- 1943-12-07 (age 82)
- Place of birth
- Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK
- Also known as
- Susan Wright · Susan Johnston, OBE
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
TV Shows (56)
Downton Abbey
2010
as Miss Denker
Brookside
1982
as Sheila Grant
Loose Women
1999
as Self
Hollyoaks
1995
as Sheila Grant
A Touch of Frost
1992
as Phyllis Bowman
Today
1952
as Self
Strictly Come Dancing
2004
as Self
Waking the Dead
2001
as Dr. Grace Foley
Inspector Morse
1987
as Mrs. Bailey
Would I Lie to You?
2007
as Self
Parkinson
1998
as Self
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011
as Self - Participant
The Paul O'Grady Show
2004
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
2007
as Self
Celebrity Gogglebox
2019
Ann Droid
2026
as Sue
Who Do You Think You Are?
2004
as Self
Performance
1991
as Mistress Overdone
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
1996
as Helga Allowby
ScreenPlay
1986
as Miriam Johnson
Timeshift
2002
as Self - Narrator
Jam and Jerusalem
2006
as Sal Vine
Cutting It
2002
as Caroline Ferraday
Time
2021
as June Cobden
Little Dorrit
2008
as Affery / Affery Flintwinch
The Responder
2022
as Madge
The Royle Family
1998
as Barbara Royle
In Suspicious Circumstances
1991
as Edith Rosse
DNA Journey
2019
as Self
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
2017
as Self
The Cockfields
2019
as Sue
Generation Z
2024
as Cecily
Duck Patrol
1998
as Val Rutland
Play for Today
2025
as Edith Thistle
Truelove
2024
as Marion
Medics
1990
Dexter Procter
2025
as Granny Bet
My Uncle Silas
2001
as Mrs Betts
Rovers
2016
as Doreen
Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
2021
as Self
The Street
2006
Full Stretch
1993
as Grace Robbins
Crime Traveller
1997
as Detective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham
Age Before Beauty
2018
as Ivy-Rae Regan
A Passionate Woman
2010
as Betty (1980s)
Sugartown
2011
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
as Irma
The Jump
1998
as Maeve Brunos
Gates
2012
as Miss Hunter
Goodbye Cruel World
1992
as Barbara Grade
Being Eileen
2013
as Eileen Lewis
Baby Hospital
2011
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
2024
as Herself
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
2021
as Narrator
Finest Hour
1999
as Commentary
Luv
1993
Movies (47)
Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022
as Gladys Denker
Fackham Hall
2025
as Great Aunt Bonaparte
Bitter Harvest
1992
as Miriam Johnson
Imagine Me & You
2006
as Ella
Lapland
2011
as Eileen Lewis
Stuffed
2025
as Lily
Welcome to Borovia
2026
as Matrashka
Bilby
as Nancy
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
2010
as Barbara
The Turn of the Screw
2009
as Sarah Grose
There's Only One Paul McCartney
2002
as Self
The Royle Family: The New Sofa
2008
as Barbara Royle
Big Winners
2025
as Edith Thistle
Brassed Off
1996
as Vera
Golden Years
2016
as Nancy
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
2023
as Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
Measure for Measure
1994
as Mistress Overdone
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
2012
as Barbara Royle
Walk Like a Panther
2018
as Gladys
New Year's Day
2001
as Mrs. Fisher
Death on the Tyne
2018
as Colleen
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
Face
1997
as Alice
Caring for the Recently Deceased
2014
as Marjoram Bryon
Preaching to the Perverted
1997
as Esmeralda
The Big Snow of '47
2024
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Score
2001
as Maggie
Help
2021
as Gloria
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
2021
as Self
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Virgin Mary
2002
as Self - Presenter
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
2015
as Self
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
2023
as Barbara Royle (archive footage)
The Golden Egg Cup
2009
as Barbara Royle
Brookside: Friday the 13th
1998
as Sheila Grant
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
2009
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
2010
as Self
Brookside: The Lost Weekend
1997
as Sheila Grant
The Cure
2019
as Bella Bailey
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
2016
as Self
Liverpool FC: One Night in May
2005
as Self
Diana and the Paparazzi
2017
as Narrator (voice)
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
2017
as Narrator
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
2023
as Self
The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
1998
as Pat Phoenix
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
2017
as Self - Narrator
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
2020
as Narrator
About 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 Co… With 103 credits spanning from 1952 to 2026, Sue Johnston has appeared in 47 films and 56 TV shows.
Fans searching for Sue Johnston movies, Sue Johnston filmography, or the latest projects starring Sue Johnston can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Sue Johnston Movies
- Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) — as Gladys Denker
- Fackham Hall (2025) — as Great Aunt Bonaparte
- Bitter Harvest (1992) — as Miriam Johnson
- Imagine Me & You (2006) — as Ella
- Lapland (2011) — as Eileen Lewis
Where to Watch Sue Johnston Films
Most Sue Johnston movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Sue Johnston, check our movies catalogue and browse page.