Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar nominee who made American food and diets his life’s work, famous for eating only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died
NEW YORK — Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, the Oscar nominee who made American food and diets his life’s work, famously eating only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died. He was 53 years old.
Spurlock died Thursday in New York of complications from cancer, according to a statement released Friday by his family.
“It was a sad day when we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am very proud to have worked together with him.”
Spurlock made a splash in 2004 with his groundbreaking “Super Size Me” and returned in 2019 with “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” — a sobering look at an industry that processes 9 billion animals a year in America.
Spurlock was a gonzo filmmaker who leaned toward the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included punchy graphics and fun music, combining an in-your-face camera style of Michael Moore with his own sense of humor and pathos.
Since exposing the fast-food and chicken industries, there has been an explosion of restaurants that emphasize freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table quality, and ethically sourced ingredients. But nutritionally, not much has changed.
“There’s been a big change and people ask me, ‘So the food has become healthier?’ And I say, ‘Well, marketing sure does,’” he told the AP in 2019.
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