Sue Johnston
Known for Acting · 100 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 (54)
Downton Abbey
2010
as Miss Denker
Waking the Dead
2001
as Dr. Grace Foley
Loose Women
1999
as Self
Brookside
1982
as Sheila Grant
A Touch of Frost
1992
as Phyllis Bowman
Inspector Morse
1987
as Mrs. Bailey
Would I Lie to You?
2007
as Self
The Paul O'Grady Show
2004
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011
as Self - Participant
Strictly Come Dancing
2004
as Self
Hollyoaks
1995
as Sheila Grant
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
2007
as Self
Who Do You Think You Are?
2004
as Self
Parkinson
1998
as Self
Today
1952
as Self
Performance
1991
as Mistress Overdone
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
1996
as Helga Allowby
ScreenPlay
1986
as Miriam Johnson
Timeshift
2002
as Self - Narrator
The Street
2006
Time
2021
as June Cobden
Celebrity Gogglebox
2019
Little Dorrit
2008
as Affery / Affery Flintwinch
The Responder
2022
as Madge
Cutting It
2002
as Caroline Ferraday
The Royle Family
1998
as Barbara Royle
Jam and Jerusalem
2006
as Sal Vine
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
2017
as Self
In Suspicious Circumstances
1991
as Edith Rosse
DNA Journey
2019
as Self
Generation Z
2024
as Cecily
Truelove
2024
as Marion
Medics
1990
The Jump
1998
as Maeve Brunos
My Uncle Silas
2001
as Mrs Betts
Full Stretch
1993
as Grace Robbins
Duck Patrol
1998
as Val Rutland
The Cockfields
2019
as Sue
Crime Traveller
1997
as Detective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham
Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
2021
as Self
Rovers
2016
as Doreen
Sugartown
2011
Gates
2012
as Miss Hunter
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
as Irma
Being Eileen
2013
as Eileen Lewis
Age Before Beauty
2018
as Ivy-Rae Regan
A Passionate Woman
2010
as Betty (1980s)
Luv
1993
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
2024
as Herself
Goodbye Cruel World
1992
as Barbara Grade
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
2021
as Narrator
Dexter Procter
2025
as Granny Bet
Baby Hospital
2011
Finest Hour
1999
as Commentary
Movies (46)
Fackham Hall
2025
as Great Aunt Bonaparte
Imagine Me & You
2006
as Ella
Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022
as Gladys Denker
Help
2021
as Gloria
Brassed Off
1996
as Vera
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
Face
1997
as Alice
Golden Years
2016
as Nancy
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
2021
as Self
The Turn of the Screw
2009
as Sarah Grose
Stuffed
2025
as Lily
Lapland
2011
as Eileen Lewis
Big Winners
2025
as Edith Thistle
Preaching to the Perverted
1997
as Esmeralda
Walk Like a Panther
2018
as Gladys
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
2010
as Self
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
2015
as Self
New Year's Day
2001
as Mrs. Fisher
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
Caring for the Recently Deceased
2014
as Marjoram Bryon
Measure for Measure
1994
as Mistress Overdone
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
2023
as Self
Bilby
as Nancy
Death on the Tyne
2018
as Colleen
Score
2001
as Maggie
The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
1998
as Pat Phoenix
The Golden Egg Cup
2009
as Barbara Royle
Brookside: The Lost Weekend
1997
as Sheila Grant
Bitter Harvest
1992
as Miriam Johnson
The Royle Family: The New Sofa
2008
as Barbara Royle
The Cure
2019
as Bella Bailey
The Big Snow of '47
2024
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Brookside: Friday the 13th
1998
as Sheila Grant
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
2010
as Barbara
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
2012
as Barbara Royle
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
2016
as Self
The Royle Family - Christmas with the Royle Family
1999
as Barbara
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
2020
as Narrator
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
2009
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Liverpool FC: One Night in May
2005
as Self
The Virgin Mary
2002
as Self - Presenter
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
2023
as Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
2023
as Barbara Royle (archive footage)
Diana and the Paparazzi
2017
as Narrator (voice)
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
2017
as Narrator
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
2017
as Self - 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 100 credits spanning from 1952 to 2025, Sue Johnston has appeared in 46 films and 54 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
- Fackham Hall (2025) — as Great Aunt Bonaparte
- Imagine Me & You (2006) — as Ella
- Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) — as Gladys Denker
- Help (2021) — as Gloria
- Brassed Off (1996) — as Vera
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.