French movie icon Gerard Depardieu is “absolutely" denying an unnamed actress's claims that he raped and sexually assaulted her.

The unidentified 22-year-old actress claims that the incidents happened earlier this month on two separate dates in Gerard Depardieu home in Paris, while they were "informally" rehearsing for a play.

According to local reports, the actress's father is a close friend of Depardieu and he'd been offering her career advise.

She made a complaint to the police in Lambesc, southern France, last Monday. The actress's agent said that she was "devastated" by the alleged attacks.

The cops have since passed on the case to prosecutors in Paris, according to French newspaper Le Parisien who first broke the story. They've now opened a preliminary inquiry.

A source is quoted in the French media as saying: “A complaint was registered on August 27 in the jurisdiction of the Aix-en-Provence prosecutor. The case was passed on to the Paris prosecutor.”

Gerard Depardieu's lawyer, Hervé Temime said he was convinced his client would be exonerated at the end of the investigation.

"I had a long meeting with Gérard Depardieu and I am absolutely convinced his innocence will be established," he told France Info radio.

"I regret the public nature of this process which poses a major prejudice to Gerard Depardieu, whose innocence I am convinced will be recognised."

He added that Gerard Depardieu was "shaken" by the allegations, which went against "everything he is and respects".