James Earl Jones was given the 'all-clear' by acting legend Morgan Freeman to star in a stage version of 'Driving Miss Daisy', according to reports.

Freeman, who starred in the 1989 Oscar-winning film has told the original playwriting the Jones is good enough to carry the role in the new production for Broadway, according to the Associated Press.

The writer of 'Driving Miss Daisy', Alfred Uhry said that he spoke to the 'Red' actor about different potential actors that could play the role of 'Hoke Colburn'.

Uhry said: "As good as Morgan was, the part wasn't written for him. The part was pretty much based on an actual person so it's not Morgan's part. I asked Morgan a year and a half ago, I said, 'What do you think?' He thought a minute, then he said, 'Jimmy can do it".

Talking about the new production which opened in New York last night, Uhry said: "He gets the music in his ears and in his mouth. And Vanessa (Redgrave) is getting more and more Georgia by the day."