David Harris, one of the stars of the 1979 cult classic The Warriors, has died of cancer. He was 75.
Harris’s daughter confirmed the actor’s death to the New York Times, revealing he how he died Friday at his home in New York City following a battle with the disease.
He was best known for playing headband-wearing Cochise in the film, which saw gangs famously fight it out on the gritty, 70s-era streets of New York.
A turf war for the ages ensues – with the eponymous gang The Warriors surfacing at its center.
Harris got his big break as a result, before going on to grace several more films throughout the 1980s, ’90s and 2000s. On TV, he appeared in episodes of Law & Order and NYPD Blue, along with ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Tributes quickly poured in after his death.
David Harris, 75, died of cancer at his New York City home Friday. He is best known for playing Cochise in cult 1979 movie The Warriors. He’s seen here at New Jersey comic book convention in 2021
Harris in The Warriors. The movie told the story of rival gangs battling each other on NYC’s gritty 1970s streets
‘Shocked and saddened at the passing of David Harris, aka the original Cochise in The Warriors,’ wrote Lin Manuel Miranda on Instagram Saturday. The Hamilton playwright recently wrote a concept album based on the Walter Hill-directed film.
‘We were celebrating and giving him his flowers for his unforgettable performance just over a week ago,’ Miranda continued, sharing a recent photo of the star.
‘Grateful for that moment with him. Our hearts are with his daughter and galaxy of family and friends.’
Selma director Ava DuVernay also paid tribute, writing in her own heartfelt post: ‘Onward for him. May his journey be filled with light and love.’
Countless others on a plethora platforms showed the impact Harris had had on the industry, with most touting his legendary role.
He snagged the part of the good-natured gangmember only three years into his acting career, after starring in a mere made-for-TV drama and a play that featured Meryl Streep.
However, the movie ended up being panned upon its release – only later gaining a fervent fanbase.
It did launch Harris’s career, though, with the New York native earning nearly a dozen film credits over the course of the next ten years.
Harris as Cochise is seen third-from-left along with co-stars Dorsey Wright, Marcelino Sanchez, Tom Mckitterick, James Remar, Terry Michos, Michael Beck, Thomas G Waites, and Brian Tyler on the Coney Island Boardwalk, an important setting in the 70s-era film
Harris is seen here alongside Morgan Freeman in a still from the 1980 TV movie Attica, one of his many roles over the years
Remar as Ajax, Tyler as Snow and Harris as Cochise in the seminal street gang film
Harris is seen here with costars Michos and Wright during a Netflix screening Of The Warriors in New York in 2006
Among them was a plum part in 1980 TV movie Attica, played alongside Morgan Freeman.
He also held cameos on successful shows at the time such as MacGyver, and later Profile and Mike Hammer, Private Eye.
In the 2000s, he had more TV success with ER, NYPD Blue, and Law and Order, before reprising his role as Cochise for both Warriors video games.
He also appeared a 2015 documentary that looked into the Warrior’s massive impact nearly 40 years later, before appearing in his last two films the following year.
He held two small parts in the TV series Instinct and First Wives Club in 2018 and 2019, respectively, before calling it quits on his illustrious career.
Harris – a New York native – is seen here with one of his granddaughters in 2016. That year, he appeared in his final two films
Seen here at one of many events he’s attended over the years to tout the classic, Harris is survived by his daughter, his mother, his sister, his two brothers, and two grandchildren
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.
