Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock of the Hit documentary
“Super Size Me”* has passed away. He died from cancer complications. He kept his cancer diagnosis private. According to a family statement, Spurlock passed on peacefully, surrounded by family and friends. The filmmaker was 53.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects, wrote in the family statement early Friday. “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.”
“Super Size Me” remains Spurlock’s most memorable work. The documentary follows Spurlock as he follows a 30-day experiment in which he only eats food from McDonald’s. The film vividly documents the physical and psychological effects of this diet on Spurlock’s health, including significant weight gain, liver damage, and deteriorating mental well-being. The experiment served as a critique of the fast-food industry and its role in the obesity epidemic in the United States.
The impact of “Super Size Me” was intense. It not only earned Spurlock an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature but also sparked a nationwide dialogue about nutrition, health, and corporate responsibility. The film’s success pushed Spurlock into the limelight and established him as a significant voice in documentary filmmaking. In 2017, he followed up with a sequel about chicken consumption. Spurlock produced about 70 films, and directed 23.
Morgan Spurlock’s career has not been without controversy. In 2017, amid the #MeToo movement, Spurlock publicly admitted to past incidents of sexual misconduct and harassment. This admission led to his resignation from Warrior Poets and a significant hiatus from the public eye. Despite this setback, Spurlock’s work continues to be influential in the realm of documentary filmmaking.
The family is planning memorial service arrangements will be made known in near future. They also said, “In Morgan’s honor, please consider a generous donation to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in New York City.”
Rest In Peace
