Sue Johnston, the 82-year-old actor known for roles in The Royle Family and Brookside, is starring in a new BBC sitcom called Ann Droid. The show, created by Diane Morgan and Sarah Kendall, follows a recent widow named Sue who receives a humanoid robot named Linda, played by Morgan, to help her after her son moves out. Johnston says the show is "rich with humour and love." She found watching herself so absorbing that "I forgot it was me – I very rarely do that and I just enjoyed it."
Johnston's Connection to Diane Morgan
Johnston and Morgan met on the set of the Sky sitcom Rovers before Morgan's rise to fame with Philomena Cunk and Motherland. They kept in touch, bonding over their dogs. Johnston says, "There's a lot about Diane that reminds me of Caroline Aherne. They've got that northern, straight-face, cut-through humour. And they're geniuses." Morgan confirms she only wanted Johnston for the role, calling her "a perfect human being."
Personal Reflections on Loneliness and Independence
Johnston relates to her character's loneliness, noting, "There is a loneliness that creeps in when you're old and you're on your own." She had a fall last year, similar to her character in the show. Her son wants her to move closer, but she is fiercely independent. "If he could have got me a robot, he'd have got me a robot!" she jokes.
Career Longevity and Recent Roles
Johnston has been working relentlessly, appearing in recent prestige series like Ben Wheatley's Generation Z and Truelove. She attributes the abundance of edgy roles for older actors to her generation's rebellious spirit. "It was almost revolutionary how we broke out of the traditions our parents grew up in," she says. She recalls working for Beatles manager Brian Epstein and being close friends with Paul McCartney.
Thoughts on AI and the Future
Filming Ann Droid made Johnston view technology with more affection, but she remains cautious. "I feel 50/50 about it. There is a danger it could fall into the wrong hands," she says. The show is set a few years in the future, where robots have decimated the job market, but humans are often disappointing.
Memories of The Royle Family
Johnston fondly remembers the set of The Royle Family, where the cast stayed on the sofas between takes. They had a "naughty corner" for laughing or forgetting lines, which eventually became a cell-like structure with a blue light. She still feels the loss of Caroline Aherne, who died in 2016. Johnston has a painting of Aherne at the bottom of the stairs and greets it every morning.
Fear of Work Drying Up
Despite her success, Johnston worries about the phone not ringing. After wrapping series three of Sherwood, she has nothing else in the diary. "Every actor does. You finish the job and you say: 'Great, I can't wait to be on the sofa with the dog.' Then two weeks later you think: 'Oh, that might be my last job,'" she says.
Ann Droid starts on 17 July at 9.30pm on BBC One.
