Morgan Spurlock dead: Super Size Me director dies at 53
Ian Youngs is a journalist who specializes in reporting on the entertainment and arts industry.
Morgan Spurlock, the filmmaker who was nominated for an Oscar and gained notoriety for his 2004 documentary about fast food titled Super Size Me, has passed away at 53 years old.
In the film Super Size Me, Spurlock ate only McDonald's food for a period of one month to examine its effect on his health.
The subject matter stirred up a significant argument and resulted in him being nominated for an Academy Award in the category of best documentary.
In his career, he has helmed over 20 motion pictures and non-fiction films, which include Where in the World is Osama bin Laden from 2008, and This Is Us, which documents the 2013 tour of the British boy band One Direction.
The AFP news agency reported that his family announced through his publicist that he passed away due to complications related to cancer.
According to Craig, Morgan's brother and partner, it was a day filled with sadness as they bid farewell to Morgan.
Morgan was a giver who contributed a lot to the world of art, innovative thinking, and being generous. Unfortunately, the world has suffered the loss of a real innovator and an extraordinary person.
During the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Spurlock advertised his movie outside of a McDonald's location.
Not only did Spurlock direct Super Size Me, but he also played the lead role as the test subject who consumed numerous Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets, and loads of soda.
After the 30-day period, he gained an extra 25lb (11kg) of weight. The doctors warned him that his health was in danger if he didn't put an end to the experiment immediately.
Spurlock was observed saying that he was experiencing sickness and lacking energy, whereas worries were expressed about his blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
During the production of Super Size Me, Spurlock gained 25lbs, which is equivalent to 11kg.
The movie also posed important inquiries to the American food business and proposed that a more nourishing choice could exist if there is motivation from the government.
After the movie was released, McDonald's felt the need to defend their menus and criticize Spurlock's film as being unrealistic.
The business placed advertisements in five newspapers in the United Kingdom informing consumers that their food is best enjoyed alongside a well-rounded meal plan.
However, McDonald's discontinued its Super Size menu choice during that particular year.
Spurlock was seen together with One Direction during the debut airing of their documentary back in 2013.
Following that movie, Spurlock addressed various topics such as the war in Afghanistan through his work, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden; advertising in The Greatest Movie Ever Sold; and senior care and gambling in the CNN series Morgan Spurlock’s Inside Man.
In the year 2010, he received a nomination for an Emmy award for his involvement in The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!
During the year 2017, when accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior were rampant in Hollywood, he wrote a personal essay admitting his involvement and acknowledging that he contributed to the issue.
He stated he was accused of committing rape and had compensated to resolve an allegation of sexual misconduct.
He confessed to being unfaithful in all of his past relationships, both marriages and dating.
Afterwards, he resigned from the movie-making enterprise that he had jointly established back in 2004.
During 2019, he made a comeback on TV with a follow-up to Super Size Me wherein he started his own restaurant chain to investigate the developments in the fast food industry.
