Judi Dench believes imprisoned producer Harvey Weinstein has "done his time".

The British acting icon believes the disgraced film producer deserves "forgiveness" after spending five years in prison on rape and sexual assault charges.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Dench said she felt that Weinstein had "done his time", though she did not clarify whether she was referring to his prison sentence or his fall from power in Hollywood.

"I saw a bit of film of Harvey walking with two sticks and you think, 'Well...' 'I knew Harvey and I knew him well and worked with him, and I had none of that experience - very fortunately for me," the Skyfall actress shared.

While stressing that she has empathy for the women who came forward, she added, "I imagine he's done his time... I don't know, to me it's personal - forgiveness. I just think..."

Weinstein was prosecuted following widespread allegations of sexual misconduct from more than 100 women. He was convicted of rape and sexual assault in separate cases involving multiple accusers, one of the most high-profile outcomes of the Me Too movement, which initially resulted in a 23-year prison sentence in New York.

Although that conviction was later overturned, he remains behind bars serving a separate 16-year sentence in Los Angeles for further rape and sexual assault charges.

Dench appeared in several Weinstein-produced films during her career, including 1998's Shakespeare in Love and 2013's Philomena.

Elsewhere in the interview, the 90-year-old revealed she is still in touch with former co-star Kevin Spacey, who faced multiple sexual abuse and assault charges beginning in 2017. While he has been cleared of all criminal charges, he will still face civil claims of sexual assault in a U.K. court next year.

"Kevin has been exonerated and I hear from Kevin, we text," she said of her co-star in 2001's The Shipping News, who offered her support following the death of her husband Michael Williams.