Veteran Hollywood star Will Smith narrowly escaped tragedy while filming a dangerous scuba diving moment beneath thick ice at the North Pole for his brand new Disney+ series, Pole to Pole With Will Smith.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, January 20, 2o26, the actor opened up about the terrifying experience, which took place during filming.
The series follows Smith as he takes on daring challenges during a 100-day journey across all continents, from diving beneath the North Pole ice, and braving -53°C at the South Pole, to catching a massive anaconda, and milking a venomous tarantula.
Through the show, the actor showcases his adventurous side beyond the glitz and glamour of red carpet appearances and flashy paparazzi.
According to Parade, Will Smith explained that the dive involved swimming beneath ice as thick as 10 feet. “We went scuba diving at the North Pole,” Smith shared.
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“So you go under the ice, and the ice can be up to 10 feet thick. We went about 40 yards out- it’s like an upside-down mountain range,” he added. The actor shared that he realized the situation became life-threatening after he heard “‘Abort dive! Abort dive! Abort!'”
Trying to surface, Smith hit solid ice. Struggling to stay calm, he followed his safety tether back to the entry hole but accidentally pulled off his mask. Though the incident was frightening, Smith managed to find humor in it.
He told Fallon and the audience, “If I get out of here, I’m only gonna do Black stuff from here on out. I promise, Lord!” he joked, drawing laughter from the audience.
POLE TO POLE
Will Smiths new National Geographic series
this is a interesting show and inspiring show I think many will enjoy pic.twitter.com/dUGInzmJC1
— MASTER STUDENT🤲🏾 (@MUSICANDBUILDS) January 19, 2026
Consequently, Will Smith said the fear eventually gave way to awe once he was assured that he was safe. “When I realized I was good, I just relaxed and looked around,” he said. “The sun was coming through the ice, and it went from terror to the most spiritual, beautiful thing,” the actor added.
Pole to Pole With Will Smith, which premiered on Disney+ on January 13, has a 100 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.6 percent rating on IMDB.
The docuseries consists of seven episodes that authentically document Smith meeting local experts and embracing high-adrenaline adventures throughout his trip. The show’s premise is to give audiences an immersive sense of global exploration while witnessing Smith’s growth through challenging new experiences.
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The docuseries offers Smith a chance to try a new form of storytelling outside his usual roles in acclaimed films such as, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Pursuit of Happyness, Bad Boys, Independence Day, and King Richard, among many others.
Previously, Will Smith did a similar series named Welcome to Earth, which was another success released in December 2021. A user on the popular Q&A platform Reddit called the docuseries “mind-blowing” and claimed that it is a “must-watch.”
Another said, “Amazon episode is really cool.” Others criticised the title of the show and said, “The title is horrible, sounds like a documentary on his wife cheating on him.”
A third one wrote, “Nice photography, but sooo cringe it hurts.” Others also credited National Geography for its stellar production.
Disclaimer: The article mentions details taken from secondary sources. Inquistr does not own any of these details, which may change in the future.
