‘Super Size Me’ director Morgan Spurlock dies of cancer at 53
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock—who ate only McDonald's for a month in ‘Super Size Me’ to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet—died on Thursday, May 23, at age 53. He was suffering from cancer
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock—who ate only McDonald's for a month in “Super Size Me" to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet—died on Thursday, May 23, at age 53. He was suffering from cancer.
Spurlock died in New York from complications of cancer, his family announced in a statement. He “passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on May 23, 2024, in New York from complications of cancer,” news agency AP quoted his family as saying.
His brother Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects, was quoted by AP as saying, “It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan.”
“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,” he added.
The Oscar nominee is best known for “Super Size Me,” which sparked a global debate over the dangers of a fast-food diet. The documentary film involved Spurlock's experiment to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet by consuming only food from McDonald’s for a month. He gained 26 pounds (12 kilos), his cholesterol levels shot up and doctors following the experiment ultimately told him to drop it when he began developing liver problems, reported AFP.
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In 2019, Spurlock returned with another documentary, “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!”.
His documentaries exposing the fast-food and chicken industries forced the businesses in the field to place greater importance on freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness, and ethically sourced ingredients.
Spurlock is also known for making a satiric documentary about searching for Osama bin Laden, “Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?”
He also tried his hand at TV series. Spurlock produced and directed nearly 70 documentary films and television series through his production house “Warrior Poets” and his most successful work for television was the FX series 30 Days, which ran between 2005 and 2008.
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in 2017, he confessed to sexual misdeeds at the height of the #MeToo movement.
In an open letter, Spurlock admitted to verbally harassing a female assistant and paying her off. Spurlock said he had been sexually abused as a child and had a drinking problem. He confessed: "I have been unfaithful to every wife and girlfriend I have ever had."
Spurlock was born on November 7, 1970 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and graduated from New York University in 1993.
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First Published:24 May 2024, 08:36 PM IST
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