Morgan Spurlock, director of ‘Super Size Me’, dies at 53

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Morgan Spurlock, the documentary filmmaker known for directing the Oscar-nominated 2004 film ‘Super Size Me,’ has died at age 53.

Spurlock died in New York of complications from cancer, his family confirmed in a statement.

“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” his brother, Craig Spurlock, said.

The brothers worked together as creative collaborators on several projects.

“Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity,” Craig Spurlock wrote. “Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”

In Spurlock’s ‘Super Size Me’ documentary, Morgan attempted to eat McDonald’s for 30 days straight. As a stipulation, he was unable to refuse the Super Size option if it was offered to him. He returned to the spotlight in 2019 with “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!”

Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music, blending a Michael Moore-ish camera-in-your-face style with his own sense of humor and pathos.

Since he exposed the fast-food and chicken industries, there was an explosion in restaurants stressing freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness and ethically sourced ingredients. But nutritionally not much has changed.

“There has been this massive shift and people say to me, ‘So has the food gotten healthier?’ And I say, ‘Well, the marketing sure has,’” he told the AP in 2019.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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