About
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.
Filmography
Welcome to Borovia2026 · Matrashka
Stuffed2025 · Lily
Fackham Hall2025 · Great Aunt Bonaparte
Big Winners2025 · Edith Thistle
The Big Snow of '472024 · Self - Narrator (voice)
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy2023 · Self
Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family2023 · Barbara Royle (archive footage)
The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa2023 · Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
Downton Abbey: A New Era2022 · Gladys Denker
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story2021 · Self
Help2021 · Gloria
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star2020 · Narrator
The Cure2019 · Bella Bailey
Death on the Tyne2018 · Colleen
Walk Like a Panther2018 · Gladys
Diana and the Paparazzi2017 · Narrator (voice)
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story2017 · Narrator
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next2017 · Self - Narrator
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves2016 · Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys2016 · Self