At the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai, Will Smith reflected on his extraordinary experiences filming the upcoming National Geographic and Disney+ series Pole to Pole with Will Smith, which chronicles his 100-day journey through some of the world’s most extreme environments, from polar ice fields to dense jungles and desert landscapes. Smith shared how confronting fear and hardship, such as extracting venom from a rare spider in the Amazon with scientists, taught him that challenges can lead to breakthroughs and uncovered unexpected possibilities. The actor argued that fear often holds people back and that pushing past personal comfort zones is key to discovering new perspectives and opportunities.
Smith also emphasized the importance of learning from communities on the “edges” of the world, including Indigenous groups and island populations facing the effects of climate change, suggesting that solutions to global problems can come from these marginalized or overlooked places rather than just major research hubs or cities. His seven-episode series, filmed over two years, is set to premiere on 14 January, and Smith described it as both “heart-warming” and a transformative journey that encourages audiences to rethink fear, resilience and the value of uncomfortable experiences.
