David Harris, best known for his role as Cochise in the 1979 film The Warriors, has passed away at the age of 75. He died of cancer at his home in New York City on Friday, as reported by his daughter, Davina Harris.
The Warriors, based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel, follows a New York City street gang that must travel from the Bronx to Coney Island after being wrongly accused of murder. Harris’s character, Cochise, was known for his distinctive style, including a heavy turquoise necklace and headband.
Although the film received negative reviews initially, it later gained a strong fan following and currently holds an 88 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In a 2019 interview, Harris shared his experiences traveling internationally, noting that people would often recognize him as “the guy from The Warriors.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who recently collaborated on a project related to The Warriors, expressed his sadness on Instagram, saying, “We were celebrating his unforgettable performance just over a week ago. Our hearts are with his daughter and family.”
Harris had a varied acting career, appearing in films like Brubaker (1980) and A Soldier’s Story (1984), as well as TV shows including Law & Order and NYPD Blue.
Born on June 18, 1949, in New York City, Harris attended the High School of Performing Arts, where an English teacher encouraged him to join the drama department. His first major role came in the 1976 TV film Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys, and he later starred in the play Secret Service alongside Meryl Streep.
Harris is survived by his sister, mother, three siblings, and two grandchildren.