Super Size Me documentary maker Morgan Spurlock died of complications from cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy when he died on Thursday at the age of 53.
Spurlock’s family announced his death in a statement on Friday.
They did not specify what type of cancer he was battling, or when he was diagnosed.
Morgan Spurlock has died of cancer at the age of 53
Spurlock won an Oscar nomination for his groundbreaking 2004 documentary.
He ate McDonald’s for thirty days to test what the effects would be on his body.
The outcome was shocking; he gained 24 pounds and his liver exploded.
The film earned $20 million worldwide and sparked a fresh food revolution in the fast food industry.
Spurlock was skeptical about how much real change had actually been made when asked about the issue in 2019.
‘There’s been a huge shift and people say to me, ‘Has the food become healthier?’ And I say, “Well, the marketing certainly did that,” he said.
Spurlock was widely praised for his groundbreaking documentary that highlighted how unhealthy fast food is
“Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity,” his brother, Craig Spurlock, said in a statement to ABC News
“It was a sad day as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects, said in the statement.
“Morgan has given so much through his art, ideas and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man.
‘I am so proud that I had the opportunity to work with him.’
Spurlock also directed the 2013 One Direction documentary/concert film One Direction: This Is Us.
The West Virginia native has produced nearly 70 documentaries through his production company Warrior Poet.
The sequel to Super Size Me, ‘Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!’ was removed from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival after Spurlock admitted to sexual misconduct.
Spurlock said he was accused of rape while in college, settled a sexual harassment case with a female assistant in his office and was unfaithful to all of his wives and girlfriends.
His physical and mental health deteriorated rapidly and by the end of the experiment he had gained 24.5 pounds
“For me, there was a moment of realization – as someone who tells the truth and someone who has made it a point to try to do the right thing – of realizing that I could do better in my own life. We have to be able to admit when we were wrong,” he told the AP.
Spurlock immediately resigned from Warrior Poets, the production company he co-founded.
‘Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!’ was released two years later.
Spurlock was a gonzo filmmaker who focused on the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches include punchy graphics and fun music, blending a Michael Moore-esque camera-in-your-face style with his own sense of humor and pathos.
Since he exposed the fast food and chicken industries, there has been an explosion in restaurants emphasizing freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness and ethically sourced ingredients. But nutritionally speaking, not much has changed.
‘There’s been a huge shift and people say to me, ‘Has the food become healthier?’ And I say, “Well, the marketing certainly did that,” he told the AP in 2019.
The filmmaker is survived by two sons, his parents and former spouses Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein.