Super Size Me star Morgan Spurlock, who ate only McDonald's for a month, dies aged 53
Morgan Spurlock, the acclaimed director of Super Size Me, has tragically passed away at the age of 53.
The filmmaker shot to fame with his 2004 documentary, where he exclusively ate McDonald's meals for a month. The film, which was nominated for an Oscar, highlighted the damaging impact of fast food on health.
Morgan sadly died on Thursday (May 23) in New York due to complications from cancer. His brother Craig Spurlock confirmed the news to the New York Post, saying: "It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan. 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."
The experiment conducted by Morgan exposed the alarming decline in physical and mental health that can result from consuming junk food. During the month-long experiment, he also reduced his exercise to mirror the average American's activity level.
By the end of the 30 days, Morgan had gained 25 pounds and his body fat had increased by 13%. He reported experiencing depression, liver problems, mood swings and sexual dysfunction.
In 2017, a sequel to the popular documentary - Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! - was released, marking his last documentary before his death. In this film, Morgan scrutinises the fast food industry's claims of being healthier now and the difficulties faced by fast food restaurants in sourcing farm-raised chickens.
Other documentaries that Morgan was a part of include Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? (2008); Freakonomics (2010); and One Direction: This Is Us (2013). He also had a CNN series titled Morgan Spurlock: Inside Man from 2013 to 2016 and FX's 30 Days from 2005 to 2008. On the latter, Morgan tried to live on minimum wage for 30 days.
In 2017, Morgan was in the news when he posted an essay on social media in the midst of the #MeToo movement. "As I sit around watching hero after hero, man after man, fall at the realization of their past indiscretions, I don’t sit by and wonder ‘who will be next?’ I wonder, ‘when will they come for me?’" he wrote.
He then went on to detail his cheating escapades over the years and some of his instances of sexual misconduct. Speaking to Deadline two years later, he said: "Part of the reason I wrote that essay in the first place, was to be on the right side of it. I’m hopeful that in time, with the work that I do and the changes that I continue to go through, that I can be there on the right side.”
Morgan is survived by his son Laken James Spurlock, from his ex-wife Alex Jamieson who he was married to from 2006 to 2011; and his younger son, Kallen Marcus Spurlock, from his wife Sara Bernstein, who he married in 2016.
