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.
The Big Snow of '47
Self - Narrator (voice)
2024
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
Self
2023
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Gladys Denker
2022
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
Self
2021
Help
Gloria
2021
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
Narrator
2020
The Cure
Bella Bailey
2019
Death on the Tyne
Colleen
2018
Walk Like a Panther
Gladys
2018
Diana and the Paparazzi
Narrator (voice)
2017
Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
Narrator
2017
Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
Self - Narrator
2017
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
Self
2016
Golden Years
Nancy
2016
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
Self
2015
Caring for the Recently Deceased
Marjoram Bryon
2014
Barbara's Old Ring
Barbara Royle
2012
Lapland
Eileen Lewis
2011
Joe's Crackers
Barbara
2010
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Self
2010
The Turn of the Screw
Sarah Grose
2009
The Golden Egg Cup
Barbara Royle
2009
Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
Narrator (voice)
2009
The New Sofa
Barbara Royle
2008
Jam and Jerusalem
Sal Vine · (19 episodes)
2006
The One Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2006
Imagine Me & You
Ella
2006
Liverpool FC: One Night in May
2005
Strictly Come Dancing
Self · (1 episode)
2004
The Virgin Mary
Self - Presenter
2002
Score
Maggie
2001
New Year's Day
Mrs. Fisher
2000
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
1999
Brookside: Friday the 13th
Sheila Grant
1998
The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
Pat Phoenix
1998
Brookside: The Lost Weekend
Sheila Grant
1997
Face
Alice
1997
Preaching to the Perverted
Esmeralda
1997
Brassed Off
Vera
1996
Bilby
Nancy
Generation Z
Cecily · (6 episodes)
2024
Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
Herself · (3 episodes)
2024
Truelove
Marion · (6 episodes)
2024
The Responder
Madge · (1 episode)
2022
Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
Narrator · (2 episodes)
2021
Time
June Cobden · (3 episodes)
2021
The Cockfields
Sue · (9 episodes)
2019
DNA Journey
Self · (1 episode)
2019
Age Before Beauty
Ivy-Rae Regan · (6 episodes)
2018
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
Self · (1 episode)
2017
Rovers
Doreen · (6 episodes)
2016
Being Eileen
Eileen Lewis · (6 episodes)
2013
Gates
Miss Hunter · (5 episodes)
2012
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Self - Participant · (1 episode)
2011
Sugartown
(3 episodes)
2011
Baby Hospital
(3 episodes)
2011
Downton Abbey
Miss Denker · (6 episodes)
2010
A Passionate Woman
Betty (1980s) · (2 episodes)
2010
Little Dorrit
Affery / Affery Flintwinch · (14 episodes)
2008
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
Would I Lie to You?
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The Street
(1 episode)
2006
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self · (1 episode)
2004
The Paul O'Grady Show
(1 episode)
2004
Timeshift
Self - Narrator · (1 episode)
2002
Cutting It
Caroline Ferraday · (1 episode)
2002
My Uncle Silas
Mrs. Betts · (12 episodes)
2001
Waking the Dead
Dr. Grace Foley · (90 episodes)
2001
Finest Hour
Commentary · (4 episodes)
1999
Loose Women
Self · (2 episodes)
1999
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
Irma · (6 episodes)
1999
The Royle Family
Barbara Royle · (20 episodes)
1998
The Jump
Maeve Brunos · (4 episodes)
1998
Duck Patrol
Val Rutland · (7 episodes)
1998
Parkinson
Self · (1 episode)
1998
Crime Traveller
(8 episodes)
1997
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Helga Allowby · (1 episode)
1996
Measure for Measure
Mistress Overdone
1994
Luv
(18 episodes)
1993
Full Stretch
Grace Robbins · (6 episodes)
1993
A Touch of Frost
Phyllis Bowman · (1 episode)
1992
Bitter Harvest
Miriam Johnson
1992
Performance
Mistress Overdone · (1 episode)
1991
Medics
(35 episodes)
1990
Inspector Morse
Mrs. Bailey · (1 episode)
1987
Brookside
Sheila Grant · (882 episodes)
1982
Today
Self · (1 episode)
1952