“If we want to look after humanity, we need to look after our planet”: Dr Bryan Fry and Richard Parks on Pole to Pole with Will Smith

Will Smith is not your average A-list celebrity. From his breakout days on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to 90s pop stardom, from blockbuster roles in Bad Boys, Men in Black and Independence Day to his Academy Award-winning performance in King Richard, and voicing the Genie in Disney’s live-action Aladdin, his career has not only spanned multiple mediums but also several generations of fans.

Accordingly, Pole to Pole is not your average celebrity travel series. The show captures an extraordinary, five-year-in-the-making journey that sees the global superstar traverse all seven continents in just 100 days, skiing to the South Pole and dangling 90 metres into an uncharted cave system along the way. Inspired by his late mentor to explore life’s biggest questions, Smith throws himself into extreme challenges – from diving beneath Arctic ice to catching giant anacondas in the Amazon – alongside scientists, explorers and local experts.

The Upcoming had the chance to sit down with two of those experts: venom biologist Dr Bryan Fry and elite polar explorer Richard Parks, who reflect on just how naturally funny Smith is both on and off camera, his genuine curiosity and tenacity when facing the unknown, and the disarming way he allows himself to be vulnerable. What emerges is not only a show about testing one’s limits, but a deeper meditation on our connection to nature – and the urgent need to protect it.

Sarah Bradbury

Pole to Pole with Will Smith is released on Disney+ on 14^th January 2026.

Watch the trailer for Pole to Pole with Will Smith here: