Morgan Spurlock, the documentary filmmaker renowned for capturing his own psychological and physical symptoms from eating McDonald's every day for a month in the Oscar-nominated 2004 feature "Super Size Me," passed away on Thursday in upstate New York due to complications from cancer. He was 53.
Spurlock’s family confirmed his death.
"It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan," said Craig Spurlock, who collaborated with him on several projects. "Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. Today, the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him."
Spurlock gained fame with "Super Size Me," a documentary in which he embarked on a 30-day experiment of eating only McDonald's food. As part of the rules, he couldn't decline the "super-size" option if offered, and he reduced his physical activity to match that of the average American. By the end of the experiment, Spurlock reported gaining 25 pounds and experiencing depression and liver dysfunction.
"Super Size Me" captured the zeitgeist upon its release in 2004, grossing $22 million globally and igniting a conversation about how the fast food industry promotes poor nutrition. Following the film's release, McDonald's discontinued its "super-size" option. While the documentary is still used as an educational tool in some school health classes, it has also faced criticism over its accuracy, particularly because Spurlock did not publicly share his diet log from the filming. Spurlock later revealed his struggle with alcohol abuse, which some believe could have influenced the documentary's conclusions about liver dysfunction.
Born on November 7, 1970, in Parkersburg, W.Va., Morgan Spurlock was raised Methodist but later identified as agnostic. He graduated with a BFA in film from New York University in 1993.
Following the success of “Super Size Me,” Spurlock continued his career under his production company, Warrior Poets, producing and directing nearly 70 documentary films and television series over 13 years. His works addressed controversial and topical subjects, including the U.S. war in Afghanistan ("Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?"), minimum wage and immigrant labor ("30 Days"), consumer susceptibility to marketing ("The Greatest Movie Ever Sold"), trophy hunting and body modification ("7 Deadly Sins"), elder care and gambling ("Morgan Spurlock Inside Man"), and corporate pressure on family farms ("Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!").
In December 2017, amid the #MeToo movement, Spurlock posted on social media, admitting he was “part of the problem.” He confessed to serial infidelities, settled a sexual harassment claim with a former assistant, and revealed he had been accused of rape in college. This post effectively ended his documentary career, leading him to step down from Warrior Poets shortly afterward.
Spurlock is survived by his two children, Laken and Kallen; his mother, Phyllis Spurlock; his father, Ben (Iris); his brothers, Craig (Carolyn) and Barry (Buffy); multiple nieces and nephews; and his former spouses, Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein.
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