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Sue Johnston

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For the 19th-century English-American actress, see Susan Johnstone.

Sue Johnston
OBE
Born
Susan Wright

(1943-12-07) 7 December 1943 (age 81)
Warrington, Lancashire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1980–present
TelevisionBrookside
Crime Traveller
The Royle Family
Waking the Dead
Jam and Jerusalem
Coronation Street
Being Eileen
Downton Abbey
Spouse(s)Neil Johnston
(m. 1967; div. 1970)
David Pammenter
​
​
(m. 1976; div. 1980)​
Children1

Sue Johnston (born Susan Wright, 7 December 1943) is an English actress. She is known for portraying Sheila Grant in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1982–1990), Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy The Royle Family (1998–2012), 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[1] for The Royle Family.

Early life

[edit]

Johnston was born on 7 December 1943 in Warrington and grew up in Prescot, both in Lancashire.[2] She is the daughter of Fred and Margaret Jane Wright (née Cowan).[citation needed]

After working as a Higher Grade tax inspector,[2] when her boyfriend was one of the pop group the Swinging Blue Jeans, Johnston worked for Brian Epstein. From the age of 21, she attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[3]

Career

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Johnston made her television debut, aged 38, with a minor recurring role on Coronation Street in the summer of 1982, playing the role of Mrs. Chadwick, the wife of a bookmaker.[4]

From 1982 to 1990, she appeared as Sheila Grant in the soap opera Brookside. She appeared in the show's debut episode on 2 November 1982 – broadcast on the first day Channel 4 went on air – and her last episode was aired in September 1990, when the character was written out of the series following her divorce from Bobby Grant (Ricky Tomlinson) and remarriage to Billy Corkhill (John McArdle).

Since then she has appeared in many drama series and films, including Inspector Morse, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Brassed Off and My Uncle Silas. In 1992, Johnston appeared in the three-part award-winning drama Goodbye Cruel World, in which she portrayed a woman coming to terms with a muscle-wasting illness.[5]

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1998, when she was surprised by Michael Aspel at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.[citation needed]

Johnston played Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy series The Royle Family, appearing from 1998 until 2012, with her former on-screen husband in Brookside, Ricky Tomlinson.

From 2000 to 2011, she starred in the television series Waking the Dead, in which she played the role of psychological profiler Grace Foley, alongside Trevor Eve.[6]

In 2004, she appeared in one episode of the series, Who Do You Think You Are?, in which she traced her family tree.[7]

She starred in Jennifer Saunders's comedy drama Jam & Jerusalem on BBC One, alongside Joanna Lumley, Maggie Steed and David Mitchell. The first series aired in 2006, the second series began on New Year's Day 2008 and the third in August 2009. Also in 2008, she played Affery Flintwinch in the BBC adaptation of Little Dorrit. In May 2008 it was confirmed Johnston would return as Barbara Royle for another episode of The Royle Family, which aired on Christmas Day 2008 on BBC One.[8] The show returned for further Christmas specials in 2009, 2010 and 2012. She shared a role with Billie Piper in the television adaptation of A Passionate Woman which aired on BBC One on 11 April 2010.[9]

On 2 April 2012, Coronation Street series producer Phil Collinson announced Johnston had joined the soap opera as Gloria, the mother of Stella Price (played by Michelle Collins). She made her first screen appearance on 5 September 2012.[10] It was announced in June 2013 that Johnston would leave the soap opera in 2014 to pursue other acting roles.[11] She departed on 21 February 2014.[12]

In December 2011, she played Eileen Lewis in the BBC one-off drama Lapland, a role which she reprised in 2013 for a series, Being Eileen.[13][14]

In May 2014, it was announced that Johnston would guest star in the fifth series of the period drama Downton Abbey. She played Denker, a lady's maid to the Dowager Countess, played by Dame Maggie Smith.[15]

In 2018, Johnston played Ivy-Rae in the BBC drama series, Age Before Beauty[16] and in August 2019, she played Joan in the second series of Hold the Sunset.[17]

In 2021, she appeared in the TV film, Help.[18]

In 2022, she appeared in the Channel 5 series Witness Number 3.[19][20] In the same year she reprised her role as Denker in the film Downton Abbey: A New Era.[21]

In 2024, Johnston was announced to appear as a contestant in the "New Year Treat 2025" special of Taskmaster, alongside David James, Hannah Fry, Martin Lewis, and Melanie Blatt.

Personal life

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Johnston is a supporter of the Labour Party and has been an outspoken gay rights campaigner.[22] She is a supporter of Liverpool F.C. and St Helens R.F.C.

In 1967, she married her first husband Neil Johnston and became pregnant at the age of 24. She suffered a miscarriage shortly after and the couple later divorced but she kept his surname as her professional name.[23] She has one son, Joel, from her second marriage to David Pammenter.[24] She has two grandchildren.[25]

Johnston is staunchly opposed to smoking.[26] Johnston quit smoking in 1978, but had to smoke low-tar cigarettes while playing the role of Barbara in The Royle Family.

In 1989 Johnston, assisted by Lesley Thomson, published her first book, a memoir titled Hold on to the Messy Times.[27] In 2011, she published another memoir titled Things I Couldn't Tell My Mother.[28]

In 1970, Johnston was sexually attacked at the age of 27 which inspired her storyline in Brookside as Sheila Grant, where she was raped.[29]

In her autobiography, Things I Couldn't Tell My Mother,[30] she states that she was originally going to be called Margaret Jane Wright, after her mother and grandmother, but her father thought that it would be best to call her Susan.

She is distantly related to horse trainer Mark Prescott, via her maternal line, as discovered by ITV's DNA Journey; aired 16 Oct 2024.[31] She is also related to the Conservative Member of Parliament William Prescott.[32]

Honours

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Johnston was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[33] In November 2010, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by University of Chester at Chester Cathedral.[34]

She was made a Freeman of the city of Liverpool in June 2024.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Directed by Notes
1996 Brassed Off Vera
Mark Herman
1997 Preaching to the Perverted Esmeralda
Stuart Urban
Face Alice
Antonia Bird
2001 New Year's Day Mrs. Fisher
Suri Krishnamma
2005 Imagine Me & You Ella
Ol Parker
2014 500 Miles North Stein
Luke Massey
2015 Caring for the Recently Deceased Marjoram Bryon
Henry Davies
 Short film
2016 Golden Years Nancy
John Miller
Motherland Mary
Abe Juckes
 Short film
2018 Walk Like a Panther Gladys
Dan Cadan
2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era Gladys Denker
Simon Curtis
2024 Bilby Nancy
Cyrus Mirzashafa
 Post-production
2025 Untitled Downton Abbey: A New Era sequel Gladys Denker
Simon Curtis

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Coronation Street Mrs. Chadwick 3 episodes
1982–1990 Brookside Sheila Grant Series regular; 238 episodes
1991 The Grove Family Mum TV film
1991-1992 In Suspicious Circumstances Edith Rosse 3 episodes
1992 Goodbye Cruel World Barbara Grade Miniseries – 3 episodes
Inspector Morse Mrs. Bailey Episode 6.4 – "Absolute Conviction
Screenplay Miriam Johnson Episode 7.4 – "Bitter Harvest"
A Touch of Frost Phyllis Bowman Episode 1.3 – "Conclusions"
1992–1995 Medics Ruth Parry, Administrator 29 episodes
1993 Full Stretch Grace Robbins 6 episodes
Luv Terese Craven 18 episodes
1994 Performance Mistress Overdone Episode 4.2 – "Measure for Measure"
1996 Into the Fire Lyn Miniseries – 3 episodes
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Helga Allowby Episode 2.2 – "Poison Pen"
Village Village Hall Player TV film
1997 Crime Traveller Det. Ch. Insp. Kate Grisham 8 episodes
1998 The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds Pat Phoenix TV film
Verdict Hazel De Vere QC Episode 1.3 – "The Doctor's Opinion"
Duck Patrol Val Rutland 6 episodes
The Jump Maeve Brunos 4 episodes
1998–2000,
2006–2012 		The Royle Family Barbara Royle All 25 episodes
1999 The Unseen Royals Narrator (voice) TV film
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll Irma Brookes All 6 episodes
2000–2011 Waking the Dead Dr. Grace Foley 9 series – 92 episodes
2001 Score Maggie TV film
2001–2003 My Uncle Silas Mrs. Betts 9 episodes
2002 Happy Together Val TV film
2004 Cutting It Caroline Ferraday Episode 3.4
2004–2005 Higglytown Heroes Fran (voice) (UK) 28 episodes
2006 The Street Brenda McDermott Episode 1.2 – "Stan"
2006–2009 Jam & Jerusalem Sal Vine 3 series – 19 episodes
2008 Little Dorrit Affery Flintwinch Miniseries – 9 episodes
2009 The Turn of the Screw Sarah Grose TV film
2010 A Passionate Woman Betty 2 episodes
2011 Sugartown Margery 3 episodes
Lapland Eileen Lewis TV film
2012 Gates Miss Hunter 5 episodes
2012–2014 Coronation Street Gloria Price Regular role; 169 episodes
2013 Being Eileen Eileen Lewis 6 episodes
Comic Relief: Red Nose Day 2013 Barbara Royle TV Special
2014–2015 Downton Abbey Gladys Denker 8 episodes
2016 Rovers Doreen Miniseries – All 6 episodes
2018 Kiri Celia Grayson Miniseries – 2 episodes
Moving On Kathy Episode 9.2 – "Lost"
The Good Karma Hospital Virginia Mileham Episode 2.6
Age Before Beauty Ivy-Rae All 6 episodes
Death on the Tyne Colleen TV film
2018–2019 Hold the Sunset Joan 5 episodes
2019 The Cure Bella Bailey TV film
2019–2021 The Cockfields Sue All 10 episodes
2020 Unprecedented Violet Episode 1.5
2021 Time June Cobden All 3 episodes
Help Gloria TV film
2022 Witness Number 3 Cathy 4 episodes
2023–2024 Celebrity Gogglebox Herself Series 5 & 6 – 4 episodes
2024 Truelove Marion Miniseries – 5 episodes
Ricky, Sue and a Trip or Two Herself 3 episodes. With Ricky Tomlinson[35]
The Responder Madge Episode 2.3
Generation Z Cecily 6 episodes[36]
DNA Journey Herself Episode 5.2 – "Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston"
TBA Riot Women Auntie Mary Post-production

Additional credits

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Sue Johnston on the oddness of women". inews.co.uk. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b Lucia, Carmella de (13 September 2018). "The famous faces you may not know are from Cheshire". chesterchronicle. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art". Zaitseva.com. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  4. ^ Sue Johnston returns to Coronation Street as Stella Price's mother. Mirror.co.uk (29 August 2012); retrieved 4 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Goodbye Cruel World (1992)". BFI. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017.
  6. ^ "BBC One – Waking the Dead". BBC.
  7. ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? with Sue Johnston". Who Do You Think You Are?. 26 October 2004. BBC. BBC Two.
  8. ^ BBC in talks with Aherne and Cash over Royle Family return. Guardian (7 May 2008); retrieved 4 January 2013.
  9. ^ "BBC – Press Office – Top British cast in Kay Mellor's A Passionate Woman for BBC One". Bbc.co.uk.
  10. ^ "Sue Johnston to play Stella's mum Gloria". Itv.com. 27 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Sue Johnston to leave 'Coronation Street'". BBC. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  12. ^ "'Coronation Street': Gloria Price star Sue Johnston to leave soap – Coronation Street News". Digital Spy. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  13. ^ "BBC One commissions new six part comedy series, 'Lapland'". BBC. BBC Online. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Being Eileen". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  15. ^ "BBC News – Sue Johnston to join Downton Abbey as lady's maid". BBC. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Age Before Beauty | Sue Johnston is Ivy-Rae Regan". Tvarchive2018.bradfordzone.co.uk. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  17. ^ "BBC – Sue Johnston joins the cast as Hold The Sunset returns – Media Centre". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Help (TV Movie 2021)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Witness Number 3". Channel5.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Witness Number 3 (TV Series 2022– )". IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  22. ^ "Never larger than life: Ruth Rolands meets the Brookside star and gay rights campaigner". Gay Times (131). Millivres. August 1989. ISSN 0950-6101. The dangers of that Clause [28] really hit me and I felt angry. I've got to come in on this, I thought – so I did. That's when I 'came out' as an ally of gays.
  23. ^ "Sue Johnston: My secret battles with depression and bulimia". Daily Mirror. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  24. ^ Cook, Emma (10 August 2012). "Sue Johnston: My family values". The Guardian.
  25. ^ Sue Johnston: 'I took Corrie job to be closer to grandson' – Coronation Street News – Soaps, DigitalSpy.co.uk, 11 August 2012; retrieved 4 January 2013.
  26. ^ "Drama – People Index Sue Johnston". BBC. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  27. ^ Johnston, Sue, 1943– (1989). Hold on to the messy times. London: Pandora. ISBN 0-04-440497-2. OCLC 20088841.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Johnston, Sue, 1943- (2011). Things I couldn't tell my mother : a memoir. London: Ebury. ISBN 978-0-09-193889-5. OCLC 752824495.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ "Sue Johnston: 'Night I thought stranger was going to kill me'". Mirror. 24 August 2011.
  30. ^ Johnston, Sue, 1943– (2011). Things I couldn't tell my mother : a memoir. London: Ebury. ISBN 978-0-09-193889-5. OCLC 752824495.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ "Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston". Rotten Tomatoes. 16 October 2024.
  32. ^ Molyneux, Jess (17 October 2024). "Sue Johnston says 'don't make me cry' after Tory discovery". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  33. ^ "No. 59090". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2009. p. 11.
  34. ^ "Brookside veterans Phil Redmond and Sue Johnston reunited at graduation". Chester.ac.uk. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  35. ^ "Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston reunite for More4 travel series Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two". channel4.com/press. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  36. ^ Kanter, Jake (18 October 2023). "'Generation Z' First Look: Ben Wheatley's Zombie Series Unveils Cast Including Robert Lindsay". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  37. ^ "Anne Williams: BBC award for Hillsborough campaigner". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
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