Home  ›  People  ›  Sue Johnston
Sue Johnston
ACTOR

Sue Johnston

Known for Hollyoaks · Loose Women

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…

Snapshot 2026-10-13

Born
Dec 7, 1943
Birthplace
Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK
Known For
Acting

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.

Advertisement

Known For

TVHollyoaks
HollyoaksSheila Grant · 1995
★ 5.2
TVLoose Women
Loose WomenSelf · 1999
★ 3.4

Filmography

Movies

Bitter HarvestMiriam Johnson
1992
Measure for MeasureMistress Overdone
1994
Brassed OffVera
1996
Brookside: The Lost WeekendSheila Grant
1997
FaceAlice
1997
Preaching to the PervertedEsmeralda
1997
BF
Brookside: Friday the 13thSheila Grant
1998
The Things You Do for Love: Against the OddsPat Phoenix
1998
SC
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
New Year's DayMrs. Fisher
2001
S
ScoreMaggie
2001
The Virgin MarySelf - Presenter
2002
There's Only One Paul McCartneySelf
2002
Liverpool FC: One Night in MaySelf
2005
Imagine Me & YouElla
2006
The Royle Family: The New SofaBarbara Royle
2008
The Golden Egg CupBarbara Royle
2009
The Turn of the ScrewSarah Grose
2009
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help ItSelf - Narrator (voice)
2009
The Royle Family: Behind the SofaSelf
2010
The Royle Family: Joe's CrackersBarbara
2010
LaplandEileen Lewis
2011
The Royle Family: Barbara's Old RingBarbara Royle
2012
CF
Caring for the Recently DeceasedMarjoram Bryon
2014
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number OneSelf
2015
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at OurselvesBarbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016
Golden YearsNancy
2016
World Cup 1966: Alfie's BoysSelf
2016
Diana and the PaparazziNarrator (voice)
2017
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's StoryNarrator
2017
Shannon Matthews: What Happened NextSelf - Narrator
2017
Death on the TyneColleen
2018
Walk Like a PantherGladys
2018
The CureBella Bailey
2019
DJ
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV StarNarrator
2020
HelpGloria
2021
Robbo: The Bryan Robson StorySelf
2021
Downton Abbey: A New EraGladys Denker
2022
Caroline Aherne: Queen of ComedySelf
2023
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle FamilyBarbara Royle (archive footage)
2023
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the SofaSelf / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2023
The Big Snow of '47Self - Narrator (voice)
2024
Big WinnersEdith Thistle
2025
Fackham HallGreat Aunt Bonaparte
2025
StuffedLily
2025
The Broken ArrowMrs. Barnes
2026
Welcome to BoroviaMatrashka
2026
B
BilbyNancy

Television

TodaySelf · 1 eps
1952
BrooksideSheila Grant · 882 eps
1982
ScreenPlayMiriam Johnson · 1 eps
1986
Inspector MorseMrs. Bailey · 1 eps
1987
Medics40 eps
1990
In Suspicious CircumstancesEdith Rosse · 1 eps
1991
PerformanceMistress Overdone · 1 eps
1991
A Touch of FrostPhyllis Bowman · 1 eps
1992
Goodbye Cruel WorldBarbara Grade · 3 eps
1992
FS
Full StretchGrace Robbins · 6 eps
1993
L
Luv18 eps
1993
HollyoaksSheila Grant · 1 eps
1995
Hetty Wainthropp InvestigatesHelga Allowby · 1 eps
1996
IT
Into the FireLyn · 3 eps
1996
Crime TravellerDetective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham · 8 eps
1997
Duck PatrolVal Rutland · 7 eps
1998
ParkinsonSelf · 1 eps
1998
TJ
The JumpMaeve Brunos · 4 eps
1998
The Royle FamilyBarbara Royle · 20 eps
1998
V
VerdictHazel De Vere Q.C. · 1 eps
1998
Finest HourCommentary · 4 eps
1999
Loose WomenSelf · 2 eps
1999
Sex, Chips & Rock n' RollIrma · 6 eps
1999
My Uncle SilasMrs Betts · 12 eps
2001
Waking the DeadDr. Grace Foley · 90 eps
2001
Cutting ItCaroline Ferraday · 1 eps
2002
TimeshiftSelf - Narrator · 1 eps
2002
Strictly Come DancingSelf · 1 eps
2004
The Paul O'Grady Show1 eps
2004
Who Do You Think You Are?Self · 1 eps
2004
Jam and JerusalemSal Vine · 19 eps
2006
The Street1 eps
2006
TA
The Alan Titchmarsh ShowSelf · 1 eps
2007
Would I Lie to You?Self · 1 eps
2007
Little DorritAffery / Affery Flintwinch · 14 eps
2008
A Passionate WomanBetty (1980s) · 2 eps
2010
Downton AbbeyMiss Denker · 6 eps
2010
BH
Baby Hospital3 eps
2011
Celebrity Antiques Road TripSelf - Participant · 1 eps
2011
Sugartown3 eps
2011
GatesMiss Hunter · 5 eps
2012
Being EileenEileen Lewis · 6 eps
2013
RoversDoreen · 6 eps
2016
Harry Hill's Alien Fun CapsuleSelf · 1 eps
2017
Age Before BeautyIvy-Rae Regan · 6 eps
2018
Celebrity Gogglebox2 eps
2019
DNA JourneySelf · 1 eps
2019
The CockfieldsSue · 9 eps
2019
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed DoorsNarrator · 2 eps
2021
Taskmaster’s New Year TreatSelf · 1 eps
2021
TimeJune Cobden · 3 eps
2021
The ResponderMadge · 1 eps
2022
Generation ZCecily · 6 eps
2024
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or TwoHerself · 3 eps
2024
TrueloveMarion · 6 eps
2024
Dexter ProcterGranny Bet · 1 eps
2025
Play for TodayEdith Thistle · 1 eps
2025
Ann DroidSue · 6 eps
2026

Photos

Sue Johnston photo
Advertisement

Catalog data and artwork by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Advertisement