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 ...
Known For
Complete Filmography
The Big Snow of '47
2024
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Houses buried under snow. Rivers frozen solid. World War II bombers dropping bread to isolated villages. How did Brits survive the snowiest winter eve...
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
2023
as Self
The unique life and talent of Caroline Aherne is celebrated in a new Arena film, featuring unseen photographs and contributions from a cast of her lif...
Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022
as Gladys Denker
The Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the south of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa. Meanwhile, a...
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
2021
as Self
Robbo is a remarkable feature film that tells the story of one of England and Manchester United’s greatest ever midfielders. From a working class kid ...
Help
2021
as Gloria
Sarah seems to have found her calling working in a Liverpool care home where she has a special talent for connecting with the residents. Then, in Marc...
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
2020
as Narrator
Sir David Jason is a bona fide TV legend and one of the finest actors of his generation. As part of Channel 5's latest series of tribute documentaries...
The Cure
2019
as Bella Bailey
The story of an ordinary woman who exposed one of the worst hospital care scandals in the history of the NHS. Based on the inspiring real-life story o...
Death on the Tyne
2018
as Colleen
Draper's Tours are taking Mildred and her care home friends on an overnight ferry trip from North Shields to Amsterdam, where things will quickly turn...
Walk Like a Panther
2018
as Gladys
A group of 1980s wrestlers are forced to don the lycra once last time when their beloved local pub is threatened with closure.
Diana and the Paparazzi
2017
as Narrator (voice)
Marking the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, this documentary reveals how Diana learned to mani...
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
2017
as Narrator
Documentary about Karen Matthews that reveals the true character of the woman who was behind the kidnapping of her own daughter, Shannon.
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
2017
as Self - Narrator
The disappearance of Shannon Matthews was a story that gripped and then appalled Britain. Nine years on, this documentary examines her kidnapping and ...
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
Documentary celebrating the British sitcom and taking a look at the social and political context from which our favourite sitcoms grew. We enjoy a tri...
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
2016
as Self
A retelling of England's only World Cup victory, fifty years later, placing special emphasis on the work of manager Sir Alf Ramsey.
Golden Years
2016
as Nancy
Fate, the pensions crisis and a steadfast refusal to accept the injustice of old age have contrived to force law abiding, retired couple, Arthur and M...
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
2015
as Self
The Nation’s Favourite Beatles Number One tells the stories behind some of the greatest Beatles songs ever. With interviews from Beatles’ insiders inc...
Caring for the Recently Deceased
2014
as Marjoram Bryon
A recent widow's life changing experience when her useless husband returns from the grave.
Barbara's Old Ring
2012
as Barbara Royle
Christmas is coming but Barbara is not happy. Not only has she lost her wedding ring but Jim has won on a scratch card she found down the back of the ...
Lapland
2011
as Eileen Lewis
Recently widowed Eileen Lewis,son Pete and his wife Mandy and daughter Paula with her spouse Ray,plus the grandchildren, leave Birkenhead to spend Chr...
Joe's Crackers
2010
as Barbara
It is Christmas Day in the Royle household and Barbara is up to her eyes in it, as Jim is out of action following an unfortunate incident in the preci...
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
2010
as Self
Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash discuss the creation of The Royle Family, with a look behind the scenes at the production of the show and interviews wi...
The Turn of the Screw
2009
as Sarah Grose
A young governess, Ann, is sent to a country house to take care of two orphans, Miles and Flora. Soon after her arrival, Miles is expelled from boardi...
The Golden Egg Cup
2009
as Barbara Royle
Jim and Barbara have received the gift of money from their children - but what to do with it? Barbara wants to finally go abroad, while Jim favours bu...
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
2009
as Narrator (voice)
A documentary featuring several individuals with Tourettes Syndrome and how they are able to cope with the condition.
The New Sofa
2008
as Barbara Royle
Festive special edition of the hit family sitcom. Inspired by Nigella Lawson, Denise decides to cook Christmas dinner for the family. Jim provides the...
Imagine Me & You
2006
as Ella
During her wedding ceremony, Rachel notices Luce in the audience and feels instantly drawn to her. The two women become close friends, and when Rachel...
Liverpool FC: One Night in May
2005
Sky One UK documentary showing events leading up to, during and after Liverpool Football Club's historic fifth European Cup victory, where the team fo...
The Virgin Mary
2002
as Self - Presenter
In BBC ONE's The Virgin Mary, dramatic reconstructions and stunning visual effects are combined with the latest findings from historians and New Testa...
Score
2001
as Maggie
Comedy about a Sunday League football team who win the Lottery.
New Year's Day
2000
as Mrs. Fisher
Two 17-year-old boys mark the new year by doing twelve dangerous but exciting tasks set for them by their friends.
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
The BBC drama about growing up in the turbulent, tuneful '60s. Manchester, England, 1965. "You'll never meet anybody worth knowing working at the Chip...
Brookside: Friday the 13th
1998
as Sheila Grant
There is trouble a-plenty in store for the Corkhill clan in this video-only special. Series creator Phil Redmond has returned to pen a dramatic script...
The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
1998
as Pat Phoenix
Sue Johnston stars in this intimate drama exploring the life of Coronation Street star Pat Phoenix. Follow her affair with fellow actor Tony Booth in ...
Brookside: The Lost Weekend
1997
as Sheila Grant
A special, video only story set on the Brookside close. On Friday 14th November 1997, a five night a week storyline ended in a cliffhanger and this vi...
Face
1997
as Alice
Ray is an aging ex-socialist who has become a bankrobber after seeing the demise of socialism in 1980s Britain. Teaming up with a gang of other has-be...
Preaching to the Perverted
1997
as Esmeralda
A computer wizard infiltrates a London sex club to get evidence for a shutdown, but falls for the proprietress.
Brassed Off
1996
as Vera
A Yorkshire coal mine is threatened with closure and the only hope is for the men to enter their Grimley Colliery Brass Band into a national competiti...
Measure for Measure
1994
as Mistress Overdone
Modern dress adaptation of Shakespeare's play.
Bitter Harvest
1992
as Miriam Johnson
A young black British woman goes to the Dominican Republic as an aid worker. When she goes missing, her parents make an emotional journey to piece tog...
Bilby
N/A
as Nancy
Fred is an ice cream van man, unfortunately he is manslipping down the leaderboard of ice cream sales. Lucy and Grumble give him the advice to embark ...