Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, renowned for his groundbreaking film “Super Size Me,” has passed away at the age of 53. His death on Thursday night was due to complications from cancer, as confirmed by reliable sources.
Spurlock’s brother, Craig, expressed his grief, stating that the world had lost a true creative genius and a special man. He praised his brother’s contributions to the world of art and his generous spirit.
Born in 1970 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Spurlock was a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He initially made his mark in the entertainment industry as a playwright, earning accolades for his 1999 play “The Phoenix” at the New York Fringe Festival. Before his rise to fame, he also created and hosted the web series “Bet You Will,” a show that paid contestants to perform outrageous tasks for money.
Spurlock’s career took a significant turn with his 2004 documentary “Super Size Me,” which documented the impact on his health of eating only McDonald’s food for 30 days. The film was not only a commercial success but also earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature and the award for best director at the Sundance Film Festival.
Following the success of “Super Size Me,” Spurlock continued to create impactful films and TV series. His 2008 film, “Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?” saw him traveling to countries affected by the terrorist’s actions. He also worked on the CNN series “Morgan Spurlock: Inside Man” and the FX series “30 Days,” which followed individuals immersing themselves in unfamiliar lifestyles for a month.
In 2017, Spurlock released a sequel to his groundbreaking documentary, “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!,” which examined the fast food industry’s attempts to rebrand itself as healthier.
However, Spurlock’s career took a hit in 2017 when, amid the MeToo movement, he admitted to past instances of sexual misconduct in a social media essay. Despite the fallout, Spurlock expressed hope that he could learn from his mistakes and continue to contribute to the film industry.
Spurlock was married twice and had two sons, Laken with his first wife Alexandra Jamieson, and Kallen with his second wife Sara Bernstein.