Acting • AGE 82
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...


Welcome to Borovia
Matrashka
2026

Stuffed
Lily
2025

Fackham Hall
Great Aunt Bonaparte
2025

Dexter Procter
Granny Bet
2025

Big Winners
Edith Thistle
2025

Play for Today
Edith Thistle
2025

Generation Z
Cecily
2024

Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two
Herself
2024

Truelove
Marion
2024

The Big Snow of '47
Self - Narrator (voice)
2024

Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
Self
2023

Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family
Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2023

The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa
Self / Barbara Royle (archive footage)
2023

Downton Abbey: A New Era
Gladys Denker
2022

The Responder
Madge
2022

Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story
Self
2021

Help
Gloria
2021

Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors
Narrator
2021

Time
June Cobden
2021

Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
Self
2021

The Cure
Bella Bailey
2019

The Cockfields
Sue
2019

DNA Journey
Self
2019

Celebrity Gogglebox
2019

Death on the Tyne
Colleen
2018

Age Before Beauty
Ivy-Rae Regan
2018

Walk Like a Panther
Gladys
2018

Diana and the Paparazzi
Narrator (voice)
2017

Shannon Matthews: The Mother's Story
Narrator
2017

Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
Self
2017

Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next
Self - Narrator
2017

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Barbara Royle (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016

Rovers
Doreen
2016

World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
Self
2016

Golden Years
Nancy
2016

The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
Self
2015

Being Eileen
Eileen Lewis
2013

The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring
Barbara Royle
2012

Gates
Miss Hunter
2012

Lapland
Eileen Lewis
2011

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Self - Participant
2011

Sugartown
2011

The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
Barbara
2010

The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Self
2010

Downton Abbey
Miss Denker
2010

A Passionate Woman
Betty (1980s)
2010

The Turn of the Screw
Sarah Grose
2009

The Golden Egg Cup
Barbara Royle
2009

Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
Self - Narrator (voice)
2009

The Royle Family: The New Sofa
Barbara Royle
2008

Little Dorrit
Affery / Affery Flintwinch
2008

Would I Lie to You?
Self
2007

Jam and Jerusalem
Sal Vine
2006

The Street
2006

Imagine Me & You
Ella
2006

Liverpool FC: One Night in May
Self
2005

Who Do You Think You Are?
Self
2004

The Paul O'Grady Show
2004

Strictly Come Dancing
Self
2004

The Virgin Mary
Self - Presenter
2002

Timeshift
Self - Narrator
2002

There's Only One Paul McCartney
Self
2002

Cutting It
Caroline Ferraday
2002

New Year's Day
Mrs. Fisher
2001

My Uncle Silas
Mrs Betts
2001

Waking the Dead
Dr. Grace Foley
2001

Finest Hour
Commentary
1999

Loose Women
Self
1999

Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
Irma
1999

The Royle Family
Barbara Royle
1998

The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds
Pat Phoenix
1998

Duck Patrol
Val Rutland
1998

Parkinson
Self
1998

Brookside: The Lost Weekend
Sheila Grant
1997

Face
Alice
1997

Preaching to the Perverted
Esmeralda
1997

Crime Traveller
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Grisham
1997

Brassed Off
Vera
1996

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Helga Allowby
1996

Hollyoaks
Sheila Grant
1995

Measure for Measure
Mistress Overdone
1994

A Touch of Frost
Phyllis Bowman
1992

Bitter Harvest
Miriam Johnson
1992

Goodbye Cruel World
Barbara Grade
1992

Performance
Mistress Overdone
1991

In Suspicious Circumstances
Edith Rosse
1991

Medics
1990

Inspector Morse
Mrs. Bailey
1987

ScreenPlay
Miriam Johnson
1986

Brookside
Sheila Grant
1982

Today
Self
1952