Sir Michael Caine admits he was aware of Harvey Weinstein’s “casting couch.”

Caine knew of producers such as Harvey Weinstein seeking sexual favors from aspiring actresses in exchange for roles, but didn’t know how far it went.

He told Radio Times magazine, “In Hollywood, we were all aware of the casting couch. It was almost a joke. We knew it existed. But my view of the casting couch was that a young lady went to do an audition, the producer said, ‘Well you’ve got the part if you did this’, she said ‘I’m not doing that’ and he said ‘well you haven’t got the part’ and she left.”

In light of the allegations against the producer, Caine, 84, said that he is a “fully paid-up feminist.” : “Oh yes. I’m all for the ladies.

“Let me tell you. I knew [the allegations against Weinstein] were there. But the gravity is a surprise to me. I’ll give you Harvey Weinstein in one sentence.

“ I had a row with him once and I called him dishonest. And he said to me, ‘Michael, I’m an honest man. I would only ever stab you in the chest.”

He claimed he expected the producer to make advances toward aspiring actors, but he had no clue ‘that he would be exposing himself or doing physical harm to the girl.’

‘It’s when they’re slightly unknown and they need it. Do you know what I mean? You can’t tell Elizabeth Taylor, ‘You’re going to have to screw me to get this part.’

“I thought it was terribly unfair that a talented actress might not get a part because she wouldn’t do something sexual with the producer. But it happened and there was nothing I could do about it. I was a nobody in Hollywood. I didn’t have the power of the big producers. But I never thought there were any actual physical attacks,” Caine told Radio Times magazine.

In the aftermath of the #MeToo frenzy, the King of Thieves actor hopes Weinstein’s disgrace will serve as an example for others. “I did three pictures with him. Harvey was a singular character in himself. But there is one great thing if it can be described like that, about Harvey and his behaviour. It’s that actresses are safe now. No producer would dare to do anything sexually, because he knows he’s going to wind up in court, which is exactly where Harvey is,” he continued.

Weinstein has been accused of many things over the years, including rape and sexual assault.

Sir Michael also discussed how claims that Woody Allen sexually molested his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, left him speechless.

“I loved Woody, I thought he was a great guy. And I’m stunned. Absolutely stunned,” remarked the actor, who famously introduced Allen to his ex-wife Mia Farrow.