Morgan Spurlock, documentary filmmaker known for 'Super Size Me,' dead at 53, family says

NEW YORK -- Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominee who made nutrient and American diets his life's work, famously eating lone astatine McDonald's for a period to exemplify the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died. He was 53.

Spurlock died Thursday successful New York from complications of cancer, according to a connection issued Friday by his family.

"It was a bittersweet day, arsenic we said goodbye to my member Morgan," Craig Spurlock, who worked with him connected respective projects, successful the statement. "Morgan gave truthful overmuch done his art, ideas, and generosity. The satellite has mislaid a existent originative genius and a peculiar man. I americium truthful arrogant to person worked unneurotic with him."

Spurlock made a splash successful 2004 with his groundbreaking "Super Size Me," and returned successful 2019 with "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!" - a sober look astatine an manufacture that processes 9 cardinal animals a twelvemonth successful America.

Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music, blending a Michael Moore-ish camera-in-your-face benignant with his ain consciousness of wit and pathos.

Since helium exposed the fast-food and chickenhearted industries, determination was an detonation successful restaurants stressing freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness and ethically sourced ingredients. But nutritionally not overmuch has changed.

"There has been this monolithic displacement and radical accidental to me, 'So has the nutrient gotten healthier?' And I say, 'Well, the selling definite has,'" helium told the AP successful 2019.