Morgan Spurlock is dead: the director of Super Size Me was 53

In 2004, he ate McDonald's for a month to denounce the harmful effects of fast food on health.

He had pulled off a shocking performance that marked Western consumer society at the start of the 21st century. Morgan Spurlockdirector of the documentary Super Size Me in 2004, died this Friday, following a battle with cancer. He was 53 years old.

For his punchy film on junk food, denouncing the effect of fast food on health, Morgan Spurlock had followed a drastic diet: eating at McDonald's every day, morning, noon and evening, for 30 days. During his experiment, he was monitored by a doctor and documented the drastic changes in his physical and psychological health linked to this specific diet. Super Size Me raised awareness and contributed to changing mentalities in fast food. Incidentally, the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary.

Morgan Spurlock then declined his concept in 30 Days (2005-08), a TV show in which each episode, he spent 30 days immersed in an unfamiliar lifestyle.

The director had also filmed a documentary Super Cash Me (2011) in which he described how brands and product placement work in films. He returned in 2017 with Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! sort of sequel to his 2004 hit, in which he questioned the changing image of fast food, promising healthier and better quality ingredients…

In December 2017, as the #MeToo movement gained ground, Morgan Spurlock also admitted to doing “ part of the problem » admitting to serial infidelities and being accused of sexual harassment by a former assistant. He had also been accused of rape at university. Confessions that ended his career in Hollywood.

“It was a sad day when we said goodbye to my brother Morgan” comments in Variety Craig Spurlock, who worked with his brother on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, his ideas and his generosity. Today the world lost a true creative genius and a special man.”