Morgan Spurlock, a documentary filmmaker and director who starred in Super Size Me, has died aged 53.
Spurlock died on Thursday in upstate New York due to complications of cancer, his family have confirmed.
‘It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,’ Craig Spurlock told Variety.
‘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 rose to fame after he famously ate only McDonald’s for 30 days in a row in an experiment for Super Size Me, in which he investigated the rise in obesity.
His peers, including Scottish star Dawn O’Porter, have paid tribute to him on social media.
Sharing a post on Instagram, she said: ‘His show Super Size Me was obviously the inspiration for my first TV show Super Slim Me.
‘And then one day he wrote to me and told me he loved my work. You can imagine my reaction.
‘We made a pilot together and it was brilliant and I loved him so much in real life.
‘I feel really lucky that I got up close to Morgan, to watch him work and hear his brain. I had nothing but loads of love for him and feel sad today.’
US filmmaker Brett Morgen said his ‘heart breaks’ for the family and friends of Spurlock.
On X, he wrote: ‘Morgan Spurlock achieved what most artists only dream: he actually changed the world with his art.
Morgan Spurlock achieved what most artists only dream: he actually changed the world with his art. He was an amazing father, brother, friend and one of the most important and influential filmmakers of my time. My heart breaks for his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/1s4EF321Lx
— Brett Morgen (@brettmorgen) May 24, 2024
‘He was an amazing father, brother, friend and one of the most important and influential filmmakers of my time.’
US producer Al Jean, known for his work on The Simpsons, described Spurlock’s death as a “great loss”.
‘V v v sad to learn of the passing of Morgan Spurlock,’ he said on X.
‘A very talented, funny and brilliant man and a true friend to @TheSimpsons.’
Super Size Me required Spurlock to always choose the ‘super-size’ menu option if prompted when at the checkout, and he exercised less to match the average American’s physical output.
By the end of the month, he claimed to have gained 25 pounds and suffered from depression and liver dysfunction.
Super Size Me caused shockwaves on its 2004 release, and having grossed tens of millions at the global box office, the film encouraged a global conversation about the fast food industry.
McDonalds even discontinued its ‘super-size’ option following the Oscar-nominated film’s release.
However, in recent years Super Size Me has also sparked debate over its accuracy as many wondered why Spurlock refused to share his diet log during the filming process.
Born November 1970 in West Virginia, Spurlock – known for his documentaries – also directed Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?, Mansome and The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.
As #MeToo swept Hollywood in 2017, Spurlock wrote a shock statement in which he confessed to being ‘part of the problem’.
In order to make himself ‘part of the solution’, Spurlock admitted he’d been accused of both sexual harassment and rape in the past.
He also confessed to having cheated on every partner and wife he’d ever had in the lengthy social media post.
Spurlock wed Sara Bernstein in 2016 and they welcomed a son, Kallen Marcus Spurlock, together in May that year.
He was previously married toAlex Jamieson – a chef, author and TV personality – from 2006 to 2011.
They had a son together called Laken James, who was born on 9 December 2006.
Other documentaries of Spurlock’s include One Direction: This Is Us and POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.
He also directed TV series 30 Days, which saw himself and other participants immersing themselves in particular lifestyles for a month. He hosted CNN’s Inside Man, too.
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