In both the stage and screen versions of "Driving Miss Daisy," Hoke is said to be 60 years old and Daisy 72 (via Backstage). Tandy, who was suggested by film producer Richard Zanuck, was at the perfect age, unlike some younger actresses like Lauren Bacall who wanted the role. As for Freeman, he was only 52 at the time, leading director Bruce Beresford to have some hesitation (via The Hollywood Reporter).
"When I first met Bruce, it was backstage at the play, and I remember saying, 'Do I get the part?' He said, 'You're a little young for it.' I thought, 'OK, so much for that,'" reflected Freeman. "Traditionally, stage actors don't get the part when it's turned into a movie."
However, Freeman defied the odds and landed one of his first major roles in what would be a lengthy film career. Though the character of Hoke and his many years spent driving around a wealthy white woman remains a hot-button racial topic, Freeman doesn't see anything controversial about it. In fact, he named Hoke as one of his favorite characters to ever play. "It's about a relationship between a man and a woman over a long period of time," he said. "It kind of reminds me of these French movies about love. It was literally a love story. I maintain it was one of the best jobs I ever had in the movies. I think [the controversy] was ridiculous."
