Sue Johnston
Acting
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
2025Big Winners
Edith Thistle
2025Stuffed
Lily
2025Fackham Hall
Great Aunt Bonaparte
2024The Big Snow of '47
Self - Narrator (voice)
2023Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
Self
2023Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2023The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2022Downton Abbey: A New Era
Gladys Denker
2021Help
Gloria
2021Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
Self
2019The Cure
Bella Bailey
2018Walk Like a Panther
Gladys
2018Death on the Tyne
Colleen
2017Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
Self - Narrator
2017Diana and the Paparazzi
Narrator (voice)
2017Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
Narrator
2016Golden Years
Nancy
2016British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
Self
2015The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
Self
2012The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
Barbara Royle
2011Lapland
Eileen Lewis
2010The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
Barbara
2010The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Self