Morgan Spurlock, Documentarian of ‘Super Size Me,’ Dies at 53

CNN
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Morgan Spurlock, the filmmaker and former CNN series host whose McDonald’s documentary “Super Size Me” was nominated for an Oscar, died Thursday of cancer, according to his family.

Spurlock, 53, died in New York, surrounded by family and friends, his brother said in a statement.

“It was a sad day as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” Craig Spurlock said. “Morgan has given so much through his art, his ideas and his generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I’m so proud to have worked with him.

Spurlock’s directing career was varied and unpredictable. He was best known for “Super Size Me,” which sparked a national conversation — and much controversy — about America’s relationship with fast food. The film chronicled his experience of consuming only McDonald’s food for 30 days and required him to “supersize” his food order if asked during the sales transaction.

But he also made a satirical documentary about the search for Osama bin Laden, directed a One Direction concert film and even made a film about Homer Simpson and baseball.
For several years, Spurlock hosted a popular CNN Original series, “Morgan Spurlock Inside Man.”

Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the future filmmaker grew up in Beckley, where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He then graduated from New York University in 1993.

Spurlock was the founder of the New York-based production studio Warrior Poets and his first film, “Super Size Me,” premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where it won him the Best Director award .

The film went on to win the Writers Guild of America’s top prize for Best Documentary Screenplay, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

In this documentary, Spurlock’s willingness to experiment with the effects of fast food at breakfast, lunch and dinner fascinated audiences. He gained 25 pounds and documented the negative effects it had on his body.

His film “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken” was released in 2019.

Propelled by the success of his first project, Spurlock moved on to other documentaries, including “Where is Osama Bin Laden?” » from 2008? and 2011’s “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.” He also created the reality series “30 Days” in 2005 and helped Hulu launch into original programming with the platform’s first series , “A Day in the Life.”

In 2017, as the #MeToo movement gathered pace, Spurlock admitted to sexual abuse in his past in a statement posted to social media.

“I realized, after months of these revelations, that I am not just an innocent bystander, I am also part of the problem,” he wrote at the time, referring to the recent wave of allegations of sexual misconduct against prominent men.

He resigned as CEO of his production company.

Spurlock was also a prolific writer and producer. Some of his other credits include “Rats,” “7 Deadly Sins,” and “No Man’s “Land.”

Correction: A previous headline on this story misrepresented Spurlock’s Oscar story. “Super Size Me” was nominated for an award, but did not win.