SHORT TAKES : ‘Miss Daisy’ Allowed a Driver

EASTON, Conn. — Actor Hume Cronyn got permission to build an apartment for live-in help after arguing that his wife, Oscar-winning actress Jessica Tandy, is ailing and that his eyesight is failing.

Tandy, 81, and Cronyn, 79, were turned down in August for a zoning waiver but were approved Tuesday by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

“Old age is a hardship,” Cronyn told the panel. “One that you’ll be dealing with over the years.”

The apartment on their property would be for a driver or attendant, Cronyn said. He said the need had become more urgent since Tandy was hospitalized for a heart condition after surgery. Cronyn did not disclose the nature of her surgery.

Tandy, who won an Oscar for her role as an elderly woman who needed a chauffeur in “Driving Miss Daisy,” has suffered from angina for 10 years.

Cronyn also said a driver may become necessary because his eyesight is failing. “I don’t know how long we’ll go on driving or looking after our place,” he told the board.