Morgan Spurlock, who made the documentary Super Size Me, died due to complications from cancer on Thursday, his family said.
The 53-year-old filmmaker was surrounded by his friends and family when he died.
Morgan’s brother Craig said it was a sad day as they bid farewell to their sibling.
The world has lost a great creative genius, and he is deeply grateful to have worked with him. His career as a director had been unpredictable.
Morgan Spurlock is best known for his documentary Super Size Me, which tackled the issue of fast food consumption in America. For the project, he consumed only McDonald’s food for 30 days. He was then required to “super-size” his order if the person behind the counter asked him to.
He also made a satirical documentary about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. He also directed a film about One Direction and produced a movie about Homer Simpson. For several years, he served as the host of a CNN Original series called Morgan Spurlock Inside Man. He was born in West Virginia and attended the Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley.
He graduated from New York University with a degree in 1993. He founded the production company Warrior Poets, and his first film Super Size Me premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. It won him an award for best director. It also received an Academy Award nomination.
In Super Size Me, he decided to use his own experiences to see how fast food can affect people. He gained weight and documented the adverse effects of his consumption. His follow-up documentary, Holy Chicken, was released in 2019.
Spurlock’s first project had encouraged him to explore other subjects. He made documentaries such as Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? in 2008, as well as POM Wonderful Presents, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, in 2011. He also worked on digital content projects, such as 30 Days, which premiered in 2005. He helped Hulu launch its original series A Day in the Life.
In 2017, he released a statement on social media about his past sexual misconduct. He stated that he became aware of his role in the issue after the #MeToo movement started. He said that he was not “some innocent bystander” and that he was also a contributing factor to the problem.
He stepped down as the CEO of his company in April. He leaves behind his two sons, Kallen and Laken. He had previously been married to Sara Bernstein and Alexandra Jamieson.