Renowned actor David Dominic Harris, best known for his role as Cochise in the 1979 film “The Warriors,” passed away on October 25, 2024 at his residence in New York City. He was 75 years old. His daughter, Davina Harris, confirmed that he was battling cancer.
Although Harris’ performance as a unique gang member in Walter Hill’s “The Warriors” initially garnered mixed reviews, it eventually gained cult status. The movie now holds an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Harris was born in 1949 in New York City. His interest in acting sparked at the High School of Performing Arts. In a 2022 interview with “The Claw’s Corner,” he stated, “I fell in love with it. I said you know what, I think this is my niche.”
He gained prominence with the Emmy-nominated 1976 TV movie “Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys,” where he played the role of Haywood Patterson. Prior to his iconic role in “The Warriors,” Harris was part of “Secret Service,” a 1977 stage production featuring Meryl Streep and John Lithgow.
In a 2019 radio interview, Harris discussed the lasting 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.”
Spanning over four decades, Harris’ career included roles in memorable films like “Brubaker” (1980), “A Soldier’s Story” (1984), “Purple Hearts” (1984), “Quicksilver” (1986), “Fatal Beauty” (1987), and his last film appearance in “James White” (2015). His TV credits include appearances on “MacGyver,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Heat of the Night,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “NYPD Blue,” “ER,” and “Profiler.”
Harris leaves behind his mother, Maude Marie, three siblings, and two grandchildren.
