Morgan Spurlock, the star of the 2004 Super Size Me documentary, has died at the age of 53 from cancer, Daily Mail reports.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,’ said his brother Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects. ‘
Morgan Spurlock gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.’
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker passed in New York on Thursday after a private battle with cancer.
His death comes 20 years since Spurlock ate only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet.
Morgan Spurlock ate at the fast-food chain three times a day for 30 days and did not allow himself to refuse the ‘super-size’ option if prompted.
His physical and mental health rapidly declined, and he gained 24.5 pounds by the end of the experiment.
The film was critically acclaimed and grossed $22million at the global box office, as reported by Variety.
Following the film’s release, McDonald’s discontinued its ‘super-size’ option.
In 2008, he released his second documentary feature, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?, a movie about the war on terrorism.
His other notable credits include The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and 30 Days.
Morgan Spurlock also directed the 2013 One Direction documentary/concert film One Direction: This Is Us.
The West Virginia native produced nearly 70 documentaries through his production company Warrior Poet.
The follow-up film to Super Size Me, ‘Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!’ was removed from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival after Spurlock admitted to sexual misconduct.
Spurlock said he was accused of rape while in college, settled a sexual harassment case with a female assistant at his office, and was unfaithful to all of his wives and girlfriends.
He immediately stepped down from Warrior Poets, the production company he co-founded.
‘Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!’ was released two years later.
Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music, blending a Michael Moore-ish camera-in-your-face style with his own sense of humor and pathos.
Since he exposed the fast-food and chicken industries, there was an explosion in restaurants stressing freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness and ethically sourced ingredients. But nutritionally not much has changed.
‘There has been this massive shift and people say to me, “So has the food gotten healthier?” And I say, “Well, the marketing sure has,”‘ he told the AP in 2019.
The filmmaker is survived by two sons, his parents and former spouses.