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Will Smith thought he was signing up for an adventure — not a brush with death.
While Smith, 57, believed he was filming an unforgettable experience in his latest project, “Pole to Pole,” he found himself trapped beneath solid ice at the top of the world instead.
He relied on a single tether to survive while cameras kept rolling.
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Will Smith describes terrifying North Pole diving accident while filming National Geographic series. (Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)
Smith shared the harrowing moment during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” explaining just how dangerous the mission became minutes after he entered the freezing water.
“We went scuba diving at the North Pole, right? So, we did a dive under the ice,” Smith explained. “You go under the ice, and the ice can be up to 10 feet thick. So, we’re under, we went out about 40 yards away … It’s like an upside-down ice mountain range.”
Moments into the dive, Smith recalled hearing urgent warnings from above.
Will Smith attends the “Pole To Pole With Will Smith” London Premiere at the Natural History Museum on January 12, 2026, in London, England. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
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“We went under, and I start hearing, ‘Abort dive! Abort dive! Abort!’” Smith remarked. “And I’m like, ‘Oh no,’ … ‘I went to ascend and hit ice. I was like, ‘Oh no, Will, calm down. Calm down.’ You have a tether on, and you have to pull yourself back to the hole … I grabbed and accidentally pulled my mask off.”
(L) Smith seen in March 2025; (R) Smith seen diving under the ice near the North Pole in a still from his series “Pole to Pole with Will Smith” (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images; National Geographic)
The mistake left Smith momentarily exposed beneath solid ice — one of the most dangerous scenarios a diver can face.
Smith said he immediately put his mask back on and focused on keeping his panic in check, even cracking a joke at himself as reality set in.
The actor went 40 yards under ice before getting trapped, calling the experience both “terror” and the “most spiritual, beautiful thing.” (Matt Winkelmeyer)
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“I was like, ‘If I get out of here, I’m only going to do Black stuff from here on out,’” he joked. “I promise Lord! African American behavior from here on out!”
Smith continued to explain that he worked to steady himself and that help finally arrived.
Will Smith is married to Jada Pinkett Smith. They share three children – Willow Smith, Jaden Smith and Trey Smith. (Rich Fury/VF22/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
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The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alum said he was in the process of calming down when he felt somebody grab “my tether up top and started pulling” him to safety.
“When I realized I was good, I just relaxed … I looked around and when I tell you, the sun is coming through the ice … it went from terror to the most spiritual, beautiful thing,” he added. “And I was just like, ‘Whoever’s up there, don’t let go of my tether!’”
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The Hollywood actor is pushing himself to the edge of the planet — and his limits — in the National Geographic original series “Pole to Pole with Will Smith.”
The ambitious series follows Smith across all seven continents on a globe-spanning quest inspired by his late mentor.
Over the course of 100 days, the actor throws himself headfirst into extreme challenges, from skiing to the South Pole to diving beneath the ice at the North Pole.