Hollywood actor Geoffrey Rush is set to receive millions of dollars after successfully suing a Sydney newspaper over articles saying he'd been accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

The 67-year-old, who played Captain Barbossa in Pirates Of The Caribbean, sued the Daily Telegraph's publisher Nationwide News and journalist Jonathon Moran over two stories and a poster published in late 2017.

The articles related to an allegation that Mr Rush behaved inappropriately towards a co-star - later revealed to be Eryn Jean Norvill - during a Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear in 2015-16.

Rush will be awarded $850,000 (£464,000) for aggravated damages - but the figure will be much higher when compensation for lost earnings is included.

Geoffrey Rush (pictured on Thursday) has won his defamation case against a Sydney newspaper publisher and journalist over articles saying he'd been accused of inappropriate behaviour

Another hearing will be required to find out how much compensation Rush is to be awarded. The final figure could potentially be several million dollars.

Ms Norvill, who played King Lear's daughter Cordelia, claimed he had stroked her breast on stage and stroked her lower back backstage.

Rush, who played King Lear, strongly denied the allegations.

In Sydney's Federal Court on Thursday, Justice Michael Wigney found Mr Rush had been defamed.

'Nationwide News and Mr Moran did not make out their truth defence,' the judge said.

Australian actor Eryn-Jean Norvill (centre) arrives with family to the Supreme Court in Sydney on Thursday

Australian actor Geoffrey Rush (centre) arrives at the Supreme Court in Sydney on Thursday

The judge said the articles damaged Rush's career and prevented him from securing work.

In a short statement outside court, Mr Rush said: 'I'm pleased to acknowledge the decisions made this afternoon by the federal court of Australia.

There were no winners in this case - it has been extremely distressing for everyone involved Geoffrey Rush outside court

'There were no winners in this case - it has been extremely distressing for everyone involved.'

Mr Rush then thanked his wife and children for their support.

The Daily Telegraph carried the story on its front-page splash headlined 'King Leer' on 30 November, 2017.

A second article the next day 'doubled down' on the claims, according to Judge Wigney.

The judge described the Daily Telegraph's journalism as 'recklessly irresponsible.'

'This was, in all the circumstances, a recklessly irresponsible piece of sensationalist journalism of the worst kind - the very worst kind,' he said.

'Those articles were published in an extravagant, excessive and sensationalist manner.'

Rush denied the allegations against him and said Nationwide News and Moran made him out to be a pervert and sexual predator.

Nationwide News denied conveying those imputations but said if it did, they are substantially true.

The Telegraph articles related to an allegation Rush behaved inappropriately toward a co-star - later revealed to be Eryn Jean Norvill (pictured on Thursday)

Australian actor Eryn-Jean Norvill (centre) arrives with family to the Supreme Court in Sydney

Norvill - who didn't participate in the articles - agreed to testify at least year's trial.

She told the court Rush deliberately stroked the side of her breast while her character was dead onstage.

'It couldn't have been an accident because it was slow and pressured,' she said.

She alleged he also stroked her lower back backstage, made groping gestures toward her during rehearsal and would sometimes growl and call her yummy.

'A recklessly irresponsible piece of sensationalist journalism': Justice Michael Wigney's judgement I have found that Mr Rush is entitled to aggravated damages for a number of reasons. My reasons for so finding are set out at length in the judgement. First, I found the conduct of Nation Wide and Mr Moran in publishing the imputations in the 30 November 2017 articles was improper and unjustified for at least two reasons. The first reason was that those articles were published in an extravagant, excessive and sensationalist manner. The second reason is that I found that Nation Wide and Mr Moran were reckless as to the truth or falsity of the imputations they in fact conveyed and they failed to properly inquire into the facts before they published. As I said, my reasons for my judgement deal with that issue, those issues, at considerable length. Let me say this: This was, in all the circumstances, a recklessly irresponsible piece of sensationalist journalism of the worst kind - the very worst kind. I also found that Mr Rush's hurt and injury was increased by the features of the 30 November 2017 articles which I have summarised. Indeed, in all of the circumstances, it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that it was calculated to damage. Advertisement

Rush said it was possible he used the word yummy - which had 'a spirit to it' - but otherwise denied the claims, saying that he thought he and Norvill had enjoyed a 'very sparky, congenial rapport'.

Justice Wigney on Thursday said he wasn't persuaded that Norvill's evidence was 'credible or reliable' while he accepted Rush's testimony.

Rush said the months following the publication of the articles had been the worst of his life.

He said it was devastating and he felt sick to his stomach when he saw the Telegraph's first front-page article about the allegation of inappropriate behaviour.

Rush and Norvill were both in court for the judgement on Thursday afternoon.