Actor John Jarratt charged over 70s rape

Australian actor John Jarratt is expected to fight a historic sexual assault charge, describing the allegation as "ridiculous".

NSW police on Saturday confirmed they had issued a 66-year-old man, understood to be Jarratt, with a court attendance notice for the offence of rape, which allegedly occurred in 1976.

Jarratt's lawyer, Chris Murphy, told AAP his client's innocence will be easy to prove.

"I could ... win this case by lunchtime and he could get back to his life," Mr Murphy said on Saturday.

Mr Murphy said the complainant, who is now 61, was a housemate of Jarratt and his wife.

She claims Jarratt raped her in September 1976 in their Randwick house when she was 18 and while his wife slept in an adjoining bedroom, he said.

But, Mr Murphy said, Jarratt and the woman's ongoing friendship decades afterwards was at odds with her story.

Jarratt is best known for his role in the movie Wolf Creek.

The woman reported the incident to police in December 2017.

Jarratt has described the charge as "ridiculous and untrue".

"Mate I'm fine because I'm innocent. I'm good because I'm a good man," he told Nine News.

He is expected to face Waverley Local Court on October 10.