Sue Johnston

Acting

Sue Johnston

Born December 7, 1943Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK98 credits

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

Stuffed
6.2

Stuffed

Movie

2025

Fackham Hall
6.7

Fackham Hall

Movie

2025

Dexter Procter

Dexter Procter

TV

2025

Big Winners

Big Winners

Movie

2025

Generation Z
5.5

Generation Z

TV

2024

Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two

Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two

TV

2024

Filmography

Stuffed
2025Stuffedas LilyMovie
Fackham Hall
2025Fackham Hallas Great Aunt BonaparteMovie
Dexter Procter
2025Dexter Procteras Granny BetTV
Big Winners
2025Big Winnersas Edith ThistleMovie
Generation Z
2024Generation Zas CecilyTV
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
2024Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Twoas HerselfTV
Truelove
2024Trueloveas MarionTV
The Big Snow of '47
2024The Big Snow of '47as Self - Narrator (voice)Movie
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
2023Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedyas SelfMovie
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
2023Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Familyas Barbara Royle (archive footage)Movie
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
2023The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofaas Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)Movie
Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022Downton Abbey: A New Eraas Gladys DenkerMovie
The Responder
2022The Responderas MadgeTV
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
2021Robbo: The Bryan Robson Storyas SelfMovie
Help
2021Helpas GloriaMovie
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
2021Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doorsas NarratorTV
Time
2021Timeas June CobdenTV
Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
2021Taskmaster’s New Year Treatas SelfTV
D
2020David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Staras NarratorMovie
The Cure
2019The Cureas Bella BaileyMovie
The Cockfields
2019The Cockfieldsas SueTV
DNA Journey
2019DNA Journeyas SelfTV
Celebrity Gogglebox
2019Celebrity GoggleboxTV
Death on the Tyne
2018Death on the Tyneas ColleenMovie
Age Before Beauty
2018Age Before Beautyas Ivy-Rae ReganTV
Walk Like a Panther
2018Walk Like a Pantheras GladysMovie
Diana and the Paparazzi
2017Diana and the Paparazzias Narrator (voice)Movie
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
2017Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Storyas NarratorMovie
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
2017Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsuleas SelfTV
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
2017Shannon Matthews: What Happened Nextas Self - NarratorMovie
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselvesas Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)Movie
Rovers
2016Roversas DoreenTV
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
2016World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boysas SelfMovie
Golden Years
2016Golden Yearsas NancyMovie
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
2015The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number Oneas SelfMovie
C
2014Caring for the Recently Deceasedas Marjoram BryonMovie
Being Eileen
2013Being Eileenas Eileen LewisTV
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
2012The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ringas Barbara RoyleMovie
Gates
2012Gatesas Miss HunterTV
Lapland
2011Laplandas Eileen LewisMovie
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011Celebrity Antiques Road Tripas Self - ParticipantTV
Sugartown
2011SugartownTV
B
2011Baby HospitalTV
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
2010The Royle Family: Joe's Crackersas BarbaraMovie
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
2010The Royle Family: Behind the Sofaas SelfMovie
Downton Abbey
2010Downton Abbeyas Miss DenkerTV
A Passionate Woman
2010A Passionate Womanas Betty (1980s)TV
The Turn of the Screw
2009The Turn of the Screwas Sarah GroseMovie
The Golden Egg Cup
2009The Golden Egg Cupas Barbara RoyleMovie
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
2009Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help Itas Self - Narrator (voice)Movie
The Royle Family: The New Sofa
2008The Royle Family: The New Sofaas Barbara RoyleMovie
Little Dorrit
2008Little Dorritas Affery / Affery FlintwinchTV
T
2007The Alan Titchmarsh Showas SelfTV
Would I Lie to You?
2007Would I Lie to You?as SelfTV
Jam and Jerusalem
2006Jam and Jerusalemas Sal VineTV
The Street
2006The StreetTV
Imagine Me & You
2006Imagine Me & Youas EllaMovie
Liverpool FC: One Night in May
2005Liverpool FC: One Night in MayMovie
Who Do You Think You Are?
2004Who Do You Think You Are?as SelfTV
The Paul O'Grady Show
2004The Paul O'Grady ShowTV
Strictly Come Dancing
2004Strictly Come Dancingas SelfTV
The Virgin Mary
2002The Virgin Maryas Self - PresenterMovie
Timeshift
2002Timeshiftas Self - NarratorTV
Cutting It
2002Cutting Itas Caroline FerradayTV
New Year's Day
2001New Year's Dayas Mrs. FisherMovie
My Uncle Silas
2001My Uncle Silasas Mrs BettsTV
Waking the Dead
2001Waking the Deadas Dr. Grace FoleyTV
S
2001Scoreas MaggieMovie
Finest Hour
1999Finest Houras CommentaryTV
Loose Women
1999Loose Womenas SelfTV
S
1999Sex, Chips & Rock n' RollMovie
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999Sex, Chips & Rock n' Rollas IrmaTV
B
1998Brookside: Friday the 13thas Sheila GrantMovie
The Royle Family
1998The Royle Familyas Barbara RoyleTV
T
1998The Jumpas Maeve BrunosTV
The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
1998The Things You Do for Love: Against the Oddsas Pat PhoenixMovie
Duck Patrol
1998Duck Patrolas Val RutlandTV
Parkinson
1998Parkinsonas SelfTV
Brookside: The Lost Weekend
1997Brookside: The Lost Weekendas Sheila GrantMovie
Face
1997Faceas AliceMovie
Preaching to the Perverted
1997Preaching to the Pervertedas EsmeraldaMovie
Crime Traveller
1997Crime TravellerTV
Brassed Off
1996Brassed Offas VeraMovie
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
1996Hetty Wainthropp Investigatesas Helga AllowbyTV
Hollyoaks
1995Hollyoaksas Sheila GrantTV
Measure for Measure
1994Measure for Measureas Mistress OverdoneMovie
L
1993LuvTV
F
1993Full Stretchas Grace RobbinsTV
A Touch of Frost
1992A Touch of Frostas Phyllis BowmanTV
Bitter Harvest
1992Bitter Harvestas Miriam JohnsonMovie
Goodbye Cruel World
1992Goodbye Cruel Worldas Barbara GradeTV
Performance
1991Performanceas Mistress OverdoneTV
In Suspicious Circumstances
1991In Suspicious Circumstancesas Edith RosseTV
Medics
1990MedicsTV
Inspector Morse
1987Inspector Morseas Mrs. BaileyTV
Brookside
1982Brooksideas Sheila GrantTV
Today
1952Todayas SelfTV
B
—Bilbyas NancyMovie