Sad news has hit the drive-thru line of Hollywood as we learn about the untimely passing of Morgan Spurlock, the Oscar-nominated director of the eye-opening documentary Super Size Me. According to his family, Spurlock passed away at 53 after losing a private battle with cancer.

In a statement to the press, Spurlock’s family said the risk-taking filmmaker “passed away peacefully in New York surrounded by family and friends” on Thursday. Spurlock was undergoing chemotherapy treatments earlier this year, though the cancer proved too much in the end.

“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said Craig Spurlock, one of the filmmaker’s older brothers. The sibling duo joined forces on several documentary projects, including Morgan Spurlock Inside Man and 7 Deadly Sins. “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.”

Unafraid to sacrifice health and well-being for art, Spurlock took the fast food industry to task with his groundbreaking documentary Super Size Me. In the doc, Spurlock voluntarily ate McDonald’s food exclusively for 30 days to demonstrate the impact and risks of a fast food diet. Subsisting on a strict diet of Quarter Pounder combo meals, hot cakes, french fries, McChicken sandwiches, and various flavors of pop, Spurlock’s health cratered with catastrophic liver failure and excessive weight gain. Super Size Me earned $20 million worldwide, a “Biggie Size” amount for any documentary. The film’s popularity instantly catapulted Spurlock to the top of the Hollywood charts as a non-fiction filmmaker to watch.

“Spurlock fearlessly challenged modern conventions utilizing humor and wit to shed light on societal issues,” the family said in its statement. “His films inspired critical thinking and encouraged viewers to question the status quo. Over thirteen years, through his production company Warrior Poets, Spurlock found additional success producing and directing nearly 70 documentary films and television series.”

The statement continued, “He deeply valued the creative contributions of the talented people who worked on his projects, developing a cadre of freelance production professionals who came back time and again. A great lover of modern artists, Spurlock compiled an extensive art collection, which decorated the walls of his home and the Warrior Poets office in SoHo, New York.”

Did Spurlock’s films do anything to change your perspective on the world? Have you limited the fast food you consume after seeing Super Size Me? Let us know in the comments section below.

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