Sue Johnston

Personal context

Summary

Sue Johnston is an English actor best known for Brookside and The Royle Family, with a long career in television, film, theatre and radio. Her roles often center on working-class family life and personal hardship; she has described her theatre-in-education work as a place where she had “something to say.” Johnston appeared at a 1988 Manchester gay-rights rally and later supported gay-rights campaigns. She also campaigned for Labour, spoke against poverty and austerity, and backed junior doctors during their dispute. In 2011, she criticized what she called “crazy” liberalism in relation to youth crime and discipline.