David Harris, the actor celebrated for his portrayal of Cochise in the 1979 cult classic “The Warriors,” has passed away. He was 75.
Harris passed away on Friday at his residence in New York City following a struggle with cancer, as reported by his daughter, Davina Harris, to the New York Times.
In “The Warriors,” Harris portrayed Cochise, a key member of the gang known for their distinctive red vests. Inspired by Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel of the same title, the film directed by Walter Hill depicts a New York City gang that is wrongfully accused of murder and chooses to journey from the Bronx to Coney Island. Cochise, portrayed by Harris, distinguished himself from the others through his distinctive fashion choices, featuring a headband and a large turquoise necklace that symbolised his rebellious spirit.
“The Warriors” faced significant criticism upon its initial release, yet it later gained a devoted following. “We believed it was a small film that would have its brief moment and then fade away, never to be mentioned again,” Harris remarked in a 2019 interview with ADAMICradio.
“I visited Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Tokyo,” he added. “I’ve been in many films, yet when I step off the plane, people say, It’s the guy from ‘The Warriors.’”
Harris was involved in numerous films from the ’80s to the 2000s, such as “Bubaker” (1980), “Quicksilver” (1980), “A Soldier’s Story” (1984), “Fatal Beauty” (1987), and “James White” (2015), among others. He also made appearances in television series such as “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “ER,” “NYPD Blue,” “Mike Hammer: Private Eye,” and others.
His significant project was the 1976 Emmy-nominated TV movie “Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys,” in which he portrayed Haywood Patterson. The next year, he was selected for a role in the play “Secret Service,” featuring Meryl Streep and John Lithgow.
Harris was born in New York City on June 18, 1949. He went to the High School of Performing Arts, where a recommendation from one of his English teachers led him to join the drama department.
“I fell in love with it,” he expressed during a 2022 interview with “The Claw’s Corner.”“I realised, you know what, I believe this is where I truly belong.”
Harris leaves behind his mother, Maude Marie Harris, his daughter, a sister named Jeannette C. Harris-Zwerin, brothers Arthur A. Harris and Vincent J. Harris, and two grandchildren.