Will Smith Had a Near-Death Experience While Diving Under the Ice at the North Pole

Will Smith stopped by to talk about starring in his daring new travel series, Pole to Pole, where he pushes himself far outside his comfort zone sometimes with terrifying results. The show takes Will on real expeditions around the world, guided by scientists, explorers, and local experts, as he tackles extreme environments and life-changing challenges.

Will joked that while he loves basketball, his knees definitely do not. Instead, this series puts him face-to-face with nature at its most intense. At the South Pole, temperatures dropped to negative 37 degrees, a cold so extreme it feels like burning fire rather than freezing air. During one harrowing moment, Will found himself climbing an ice wall during a storm lowering cables as the weather worsened while wondering aloud where his stunt double was.

Things didn’t get any calmer at the North Pole, where Will went scuba diving beneath solid ice. Descending about ten feet below the surface, he described the experience as swimming under an upside-down skating rink. When the crew repeatedly yelled “abort dive,” panic set in. At one point, Will accidentally pulled off his own mask, completely freaking out. His only way back was grabbing the tether and pulling himself toward the small opening in the ice above him.

The adventure didn’t stop there. Will also journeyed into the Amazon jungle, where he took part in real expeditions including milking a venomous tarantula and hunting for a massive anaconda.

Inspired by his late mentor to explore life’s biggest questions, Pole to Pole with Will Smith follows the actor over 100 days as he skis to the South Pole, dives under Arctic ice, climbs mountains, encounters deadly wildlife, and embraces the unknown. The series has resonated with audiences and is currently the number one show on the Discovery Channel.

To cap things off, Jimmy Fallon decided to test Will’s nerves one last time by bringing out a boa constrictor, challenging him to hold the snake for 30 seconds because apparently surviving the North Pole wasn’t enough. See more inside….