CNN
—
Morgan Spurlock, the director and former host of the CNN series whose McDonald’s documentary “Super Size Me” was nominated for an Oscar, died on Thursday from complications of cancer, according to his family.
Spurlock, who was 53, died in New York surrounded by family and friends, Spurlock’s brother said in a statement.
“It was a sad day as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said Craig Spurlock. “Morgan gave so much through his art, his ideas and his generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to work with him.”
Spurlock’s career as a director was varied and unpredictable. He is best known for the song “Super Size Me,” which sparked a national discussion — and plenty of controversy — about America’s relationship with fast food. The film included his experience of consuming only McDonald’s food for 30 days, and required him to “upsize” his food order when asked to do so as part of a sales transaction.
But he also made a mockumentary about the search for Osama bin Laden, shot a One Direction concert film, and even made a film about Homer Simpson and baseball.
Spurlock served for several years as host of the popular CNN original series “Morgan Spurlock Inside Man.”
Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the future director grew up in Beckley, where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. Gold graduated from New York University in 1993.
Spurlock was the founder of the New York production studio Warrior Poets and his first film, Super Size Me, premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where he won the award for Best Director.
The film won the inaugural Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay and also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
In this documentary, Spurlock’s willingness to experience for himself the effects of fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner impressed audiences. He gained 25 pounds and documented the negative effects on his body.
His film “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken” was released in 2019.
Buoyed by the success of his first project, Spurlock moved on to other documentaries, including “Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?” and 2011’s “Bum’s Great Gifts: The Best Movie Ever Sold.” He also created the 2005 reality TV series “30 Days” and helped Hulu foray into original programming with the platform’s first series, “A Day in the Life.”
In 2017, as the #MeToo movement was gaining momentum, Spurlock admitted to past sexual misconduct in a statement posted on social media.
“Months after these revelations, I have realized that I am not just an innocent bystander, but part of the problem,” he wrote at the time, referring to the recent spate of sexual misconduct allegations against prominent men.
He resigned as CEO of his production company.
Spurlock was also a prolific writer and producer. His other works include The Mice, The Seven Deadly Sins, and No Man’s Land.
Correction: An earlier headline in this story misstated Spurlock’s Oscar history. “Super Size Me” was nominated for an award but did not win.
2024-05-25 14:07:41
#Morgan #Spurlock #director #documentary #Super #Size #died #age
