David Harris, best known for his work in the 1975 movie The Warriors, has died. He was 75.
According to Variety, the late actor died on Oct. 25 at his New York City home. His daughter, Davina Harris, told the The New York Times he had cancer.
The Warriors, which is based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel of the same name, tells the story of a New York City gang that is framed for murder, forcing them to travel from the Bronx to Coney Island. Harris’ character, Cochise, was a member of the red-vested-wearing gang. Cochise stood out among his fellow gang members, including a headband and a big turquoise necklace as part of his fit.
The movie wasn’t a box office hit but became a beloved cult classic.
“We thought it was a little film that would run its little run and go, and nobody would ever talk about it again,” Harris said in a 2019 interview with ADAMICradio.
He added, “I was in Hong Kong, I was in the Philippines, I was in Tokyo. I’ve done a lot of movies, but I get off the plane, and people go, ‘It’s the guy from The Warriors.’”
Harris first gained attention in 1976 for playing Haywood Patterson in the Emmy-nominated TV movie Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys. The following year, he was cast in Secret Service, a play starring Meryl Streep and John Lithgow.
After The Warriors, Harris appeared in films from the ’80s to the aughts, working on films like Brubaker, Quicksilver, A Soldier’s Story, Fatal Beauty, James White and more. He also made cameos in TV shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, ER, NYPD Blue, and Mike Hammer: Private Eye, among others.
Harris is survived by his daughter, his mother, Maude Marie Harris; his sister, Jeannette C. Harris-Zwerin; his brothers, Arthur A. Harris and Vincent J. Harris; and two grandchildren.
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