David Harris death: The Warriors actor dies, aged 75

The actor achieved cult status after appearing in the 1979 action thriller

The actor David Harris, best known for his role in the cult classic film The Warriors, has died, aged 75.

His daughter Davina Harris revealed to The New York Times that the star, who had cancer, passed away on 25 October.

Harris was born on 18 June 1949 in New York City and studied acting at the High School of Performing Arts and then later the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He enjoyed a decades-long career in acting, with his first major role being the Emmy nominated 1976 TV movie, Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boy. He later appeared in Secret Service in 1977 alongside Meryl Streep and John Lithgow.

His biggest and most memorable role was in his first film, The Warriors, directed by Walter Hill where he played Cochise, a member of the red vest Coney Island gang that the film is named after.

Based on the 1967 novel by Sol Yurick, the action thriller tells the story of a gang that is falsely accused of an assassination and must then battle their way across New York, fending off the bloodthirsty rival gangs, in an attempt to make it back home.

The film, which also stars Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright and David Patrick Kelly, is best known for its colourful and inventive gangs which include “The Baseball Furies”, “The Lizzies”, “The Orphans” and “The Rouges”.

David Harris and Terry Michos in ‘The Warriors’ (Paramount Pictures)

The Warriors was also adapted into a video game in 2005, which featured many of the disco, rock and funk songs used on the soundtrack. Harris reprised his role to voice Cochise in the game.

Despite being received poorly by contemporary critics, the film was still a minor success at the box office grossing £17.35m, well above its £3m budget. The Warriors has since gone on to achieve cult status, with Harris often speaking fondly of his involvement in the film.

Speaking in 2019, Harris said: “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.”

Expanding on his career, 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 carried on working until 2019, with other credits including A Soldier’s Story, Hill Street Blues, Heat of the Night, MacGyver, ER, NYPD Blue, Law & Order and First Wives Club.