Acting · Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK · Born December 7, 1943
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.
TVAnn Droid
2026
as Sue
MovieWelcome to Borovia
2026
as Matrashka
MovieStuffed
2025
as Lily
MovieFackham Hall
2025
as Great Aunt Bonaparte
TVDexter Procter
2025
as Granny Bet
MovieBig Winners
2025
as Edith Thistle
TVPlay for Today
2025
as Edith Thistle
TVGeneration Z
2024
as Cecily
TVRicky, Sue & a Trip or Two
2024
as Herself
TVTruelove
2024
as Marion
MovieThe Big Snow of '47
2024
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MovieCaroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
2023
as Self
MovieRicky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
2023
as Barbara Royle (archive footage)
MovieThe Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
2023
as Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
MovieDownton Abbey: A New Era
2022
as Gladys Denker
TVThe Responder
2022
as Madge
MovieRobbo: The Bryan Robson Story
2021
as Self
MovieHelp
2021
as Gloria
TVKensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
2021
as Narrator
TVTime
2021
as June Cobden
TVTaskmaster’s New Year Treat
2021
as Self
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
2020
as Narrator
MovieThe Cure
2019
as Bella Bailey
TVThe Cockfields
2019
as Sue
TVDNA Journey
2019
as Self
TVCelebrity Gogglebox
2019
MovieDeath on the Tyne
2018
as Colleen
TVAge Before Beauty
2018
as Ivy-Rae Regan
MovieWalk Like a Panther
2018
as Gladys
MovieDiana and the Paparazzi
2017
as Narrator (voice)
MovieShannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
2017
as Narrator
TVHarry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
2017
as Self
MovieShannon Matthews: What Happened Next
2017
as Self - Narrator
MovieBritish Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
TVRovers
2016
as Doreen
MovieWorld Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
2016
as Self
MovieGolden Years
2016
as Nancy
MovieThe Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
2015
as Self
Caring for the Recently Deceased
2014
as Marjoram Bryon
TVBeing Eileen
2013
as Eileen Lewis
MovieThe Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
2012
as Barbara Royle
TVGates
2012
as Miss Hunter
MovieLapland
2011
as Eileen Lewis
TVCelebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011
as Self - Participant
TVSugartown
2011
Baby Hospital
2011
MovieThe Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
2010
as Barbara
MovieThe Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
2010
as Self
TVDownton Abbey
2010
as Miss Denker
TVA Passionate Woman
2010
as Betty (1980s)
MovieThe Turn of the Screw
2009
as Sarah Grose
MovieThe Golden Egg Cup
2009
as Barbara Royle
MovieTourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
2009
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Royle Family: The New Sofa
2008
as Barbara Royle
TVLittle Dorrit
2008
as Affery / Affery Flintwinch
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
2007
as Self
TVWould I Lie to You?
2007
as Self
TVJam and Jerusalem
2006
as Sal Vine
TVThe Street
2006
MovieImagine Me & You
2006
as Ella
MovieLiverpool FC: One Night in May
2005
as Self
TVWho Do You Think You Are?
2004
as Self
TVThe Paul O'Grady Show
2004
TVStrictly Come Dancing
2004
as Self
MovieThe Virgin Mary
2002
as Self - Presenter
TVTimeshift
2002
as Self - Narrator
MovieThere's Only One Paul McCartney
2002
as Self
TVCutting It
2002
as Caroline Ferraday
MovieNew Year's Day
2001
as Mrs. Fisher
TVMy Uncle Silas
2001
as Mrs Betts
TVWaking the Dead
2001
as Dr. Grace Foley
Score
2001
as Maggie
TVFinest Hour
1999
as Commentary
TVLoose Women
1999
as Self
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
TVSex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
as Irma
Brookside: Friday the 13th
1998
as Sheila Grant
TVThe Royle Family
1998
as Barbara Royle
The Jump
1998
as Maeve Brunos
MovieThe Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
1998
as Pat Phoenix
TVDuck Patrol
1998
as Val Rutland
TVParkinson
1998
as Self
MovieBrookside: The Lost Weekend
1997
as Sheila Grant
MovieFace
1997
as Alice
MoviePreaching to the Perverted
1997
as Esmeralda
TVCrime Traveller
1997
as Detective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham
MovieBrassed Off
1996
as Vera
TVHetty Wainthropp Investigates
1996
as Helga Allowby
TVHollyoaks
1995
as Sheila Grant
MovieMeasure for Measure
1994
as Mistress Overdone
Luv
1993
Full Stretch
1993
as Grace Robbins
TVA Touch of Frost
1992
as Phyllis Bowman
MovieBitter Harvest
1992
as Miriam Johnson
TVGoodbye Cruel World
1992
as Barbara Grade
TVPerformance
1991
as Mistress Overdone
TVIn Suspicious Circumstances
1991
as Edith Rosse
TVMedics
1990
TVInspector Morse
1987
as Mrs. Bailey
TVScreenPlay
1986
as Miriam Johnson
TVBrookside
1982
as Sheila Grant
TVToday
1952
as Self
Bilby
as Nancy
