Friend was told about alleged John Jarratt rape, court told

A woman has told a jury her friend spoke to her "many, many, many time" over the years about being raped by actor John Jarratt when they were Sydney housemates.

Suzanne Wyatt said her on-and-off-again friend told her she'd been asleep before being awoken by Jarratt "and pinned down" before the actor "put his hand over her mouth and she was raped".

Ms Wyatt was giving evidence today at the NSW District Court trial of Jarratt.

He has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman - who can't be named for legal reasons - in 1976 in the eastern suburbs house they shared with his wife, Rosa Miano, and another female.

The actor says they had consensual sex.

Ms Wyatt said her friend first told her about being raped by Jarratt in the first couple of years after the women met in the early 1980s.

"It definitely affected her," she said.

Under cross-examination from the actor's barrister, Greg James QC, Ms Wyatt said she offered to assist her friend if she went to the police.

The woman did this in November 2017.

"She told you she had been thinking about making this allegation to police because of the publicity that had occurred about other allegations," Mr James suggested.

"I do not recall her linking it to other publicity," Ms Wyatt replied.

"She was going to report the incident that happened to her."

Mr James then said: "Forty years ago?"

"Correct," Ms Wyatt replied. "She didn't tell me in detail what she was going to say because I already knew what happened."

The trial continues.