David Dominic Harris, whose portrayal of Cochise in the 1979 film “The Warriors” earned him global recognition, died on October 25, 2024, at his home in New York City. He was 75. His daughter, Davina Harris, confirmed that the cause was cancer.
Harris’s performance as the distinctively styled gang member in Walter Hill’s “The Warriors” initially faced mixed reviews but later achieved cult status, with the film now maintaining an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Born in New York City in 1949, Harris discovered his passion for acting at the High School of Performing Arts. In a 2022 interview with “The Claw’s Corner,” he reflected on his early career, stating, “I fell in love with it. I said you know what, I think this is my niche.”
His breakthrough came with the Emmy-nominated 1976 TV movie “Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys,” where he played Haywood Patterson. Before his iconic role in “The Warriors,” Harris appeared in “Secret Service,” a 1977 stage production alongside Meryl Streep and John Lithgow.
In a 2019 radio interview, Harris spoke about the enduring impact of “The Warriors.” “It wasn’t a typical gang movie. It was futuristic. It was like ‘The Seven Samurai’… It was based on a Greek army that was caught behind enemy lines, and they had to fight their way back all night to get back to their own line — it’s a true story.”
The actor’s career spanned over four decades, including roles in notable films such as “Brubaker” (1980), “A Soldier’s Story” (1984), “Purple Hearts” (1984), “Quicksilver” (1986), “Fatal Beauty” (1987), and his final film appearance in “James White” (2015). His television credits included appearances on “MacGyver,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Heat of the Night,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “NYPD Blue,” “ER,” and “Profiler.”
Harris is survived by his mother, Maude Marie, three siblings, and two grandchildren.