Morgan Spurlock, the star of the 2004 Super Size Me documentary, has died at the age of 53 from cancer.
‘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 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 upstate New York on Thursday and had privately been undergoing chemotherapy.
It’s unclear what kind of cancer Spurlock was suffering or how long he had been battling it.
His death comes 20 after Spurlock ate only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet.
‘Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity,’ his brother, Craig Spurlock, said in a statement to ABC News
Spurlock made a splash in 2004 with his groundbreaking film, which was nominated for an Academy Award and chronicled the detrimental physical and psychological effects of Spurlock eating only McDonald’s food for 30 days.
He did not allow himself to refuse the ‘super-size’ option if prompted.
Once the experiment was over, Spurlock had gained about 25 pounds, saw a spike in his cholesterol, a decline in his mental health, liver damage, and lost his sex drive.
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.
However, the documentary’s credibility was questioned when Spurlock admitted he had been drinking heavily throughout the filming, putting his symptoms, particularly the liver damage, under new light.
The filmmaker is survived by two sons, his parents and former spouses Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein (pictured)
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
Spurlock admitted that he had been drinking since the age of 13 and that at the time of the film’s production, he had not been sober ‘for more than a week in 30 years.’
In the film, a doctor told Spurlock the fast food was ‘pickling his liver’ which looked like an ‘alcoholic’s after a binge.’
He also refused to share his meal logs.
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.
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.
The film was critically acclaimed and grossed $22million at the global box office
Following the film’s release, McDonald’s discontinued its ‘super-size’ option
Spurlock is seen on the last photo of himself he uploaded to Instagram – on April 21, 2022
In his las Instagram post, on December 9, 2022, Spurlock wished his son Laken a happy 16th birthday, sharing the above image
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.
‘For me, there was a moment of kind of realization — as somebody who is a truth-teller and somebody who has made it a point of trying to do what’s right — of recognizing that I could do better in my own life. We should be able to admit we were wrong,’ he told the AP.
Spurlock immediately stepped down from Warrior Poets, the production company he co-founded.
‘Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!’ was released two years later.
Spurlock directed the 2013 One Direction documentary/concert film One Direction: This Is Us
Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous
Morgan Spurlock and his first wife Alex Jamieson are seen together in 2005
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 Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein.
In his last Instagram post, on December 9, 2022 Spurlock wrote: ‘Happy birthday Laken! My handsome giant is 16 today! I can’t believe it. I love the creative, inspiring, and passionate person you have become (not to mention being such an epic big brother). We’re so lucky to have you in our lives – now get your license so you can drive me around!’
Filmmakers have reacted to Spurlock’s death online, sending thoughts to his family.
Brett Morgan, who directed Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, wrote on X: : ‘Morgan Spurlock achieved what most artists only dream: he actually changed the world with his art. He was an amazing father, brother, friend and one of the most important and influential filmmakers of my time. My heart breaks for his family and friends.’
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