Oscar-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, known for his documentary Super Size Me, died at the age of 53.
As reported by multiple outlets, he passed away on Thursday, May 23, in New York due to cancer-related complications.
Spurlock's family confirmed his death in a statement.
His brother, Craig Spurlock, said, “It was a sad day as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan. 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."
Morgan Spurlock gained fame with his 2004 directorial debut, Super Size Me, where he ate only McDonald's food for a month to document its effects on his health.
The documentary was nominated for an Oscar and brought attention to the obesity crisis in the United States.
Its sequel, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! released in 2017, showed Spurlock running his own fast food restaurant to highlight changes in the food industry since the original film.
Spurlock also made other notable works such as Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? and The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!
In 2017, Spurlock admitted to sexual misconduct in an open letter during the MeToo movement and resigned from his production company, Warrior Poets.
To note, during the making of Super Size Me, Spurlock gained 25 pounds (11 kg) and was warned by doctors about the risks to his health if he continued the experiment.
