Super Size Me star and director Morgan Spurlock has passed away at the age of 53. Few documentary filmmakers have made the widespread impact and achieved the level of fame as Spurlock, who became virtually a household name following the release of his aforementioned 2004 documentary film.
Spurlock famously gave his all to his films, and in Super Size Me he memorably ate only McDonalds meals for 30 days in order to show what fast food does to the body. Other notable movies of his include 2017’s Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! and 2013’s One Direction: This is Us. In 2008’s Where In The World is Osama bin Laden?, Spurlock attempted his own one-man hunt for the late al-Quaeda leader. When bin Laden was ultimately found in 2011, the FBI confirmed he owned a copy of Spurlock’s film.
Unfortunately, Spurlock’s reputation had taken a hit in recent years, following his admittance to a history of sexual misconduct in a 2017 blog post, in which he called himself “part of the problem.” He made no further films and was forced to step down from his role in Warrior Poets, the company he founded in 2004.
Morgan Spurlock’s cause of death, explained
Spurlock’s untimely passing was announced on May 24, 2024. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker was confirmed to have “passed away peacefully in New York surrounded by family and friends” on May 23. The official statement on his death notes that he passed away due to complications with cancer. Spurlock had been facing a private battle with the disease and had undergone chemotherapy earlier in 2024.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” Craig Spurlock, one of Morgan’s older brothers and frequent collaborators, said in a statement. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Spurlock is survived by his two sons, Laken and Kallen. His family has requested that those mourning his passing honor him by considering “a generous donation to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in New York City.”
