Sue Johnston

Susan Johnston, OBE (born Wright on December 7, 1943), is a celebrated English actress renowned for her diverse roles in television. She gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Sheila Grant in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, which aired from 1982 to 1990. Johnston further solidified her status in the industry with her performance as Barbara Royle in the beloved BBC comedy The Royle Family, appearing in its original run from 1998 to 2000, as well as in subsequent specials from 2006 to 2010 and again in 2012. Additionally, she took on the role of Grace Foley in the gripping BBC drama Waking the Dead from 2000 to 2011.

Her versatility is evident in her performances in other shows, such as Gloria Price in the long-running ITV soap Coronation Street from 2012 to 2014, and Miss Denker in the acclaimed ITV series Downton Abbey, which she featured in from 2014 to 2015. Johnston's talent was recognized in 2000 when she received the British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress and earned a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Comedy Performance for her work on The Royle Family.