The director and documentarian behind the Oscar-nominated film "Super Size Me" has died at the age of 53.
Morgan Spurlock succumbed to cancer on Thursday in New York, NBC News reports. He became famous for chronicling a 30-day period where the filmmaker only ate from McDonald's fast-food restaurants to bring awareness to poor nutrition and America's obesity epidemic.
"It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan," said Craig Spurlock in a statement. "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."
Spurlock addressed several social problems in his decade-long directing career, including the Bush-era War on Terror "Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?", corporate dominance "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold", and male identity "Mansome". In 2013, he directed "One Direction: This Is Us," a 3-D concert video.
But none of his films came close to the success of his 2004 documentary "Super Size Me," which was nominated for best documentary feature at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005.
Spurlock chronicled his journey eating nothing but McDonald's quick-fix items (burgers, fries, and other items)—an experiment he claimed negatively impacted his physical and mental health. He gained 24.5 pounds and his cholesterol increased by 65 points at the conclusion of the 30-day experiment, according to CBS news.
"Super Size Me" amassed over $22 million in revenue despite its modest $65,000 budget.
On November 7, 1970, Spurlock was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia. After graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in the early 1990s with a bachelor of fine arts degree, he worked in the entertainment industry for the following ten years.
According to the statement, Spurlock is survived by his siblings Craig and Barry, mother Phyllis, father Ben, sons Laken and Kallen, and his previous spouses Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein.
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