Will Smith puts his fears to the test in TV nature series

NEW YORK » Will Smith rappelled into a live volcano and kayaked down an Icelandic whitewater river for his latest project. But he wasn’t making an action movie. It was personal.

Smith, a Hollywood leading man who admits that he’s far from outdoorsy, has put himself in danger’s way while filming “Welcome to Earth,” a kinetic Disney+ original series from National Geographic. He was intimidated, but that brought clarity.

“It’s really difficult to enjoy things if you’re scared,” he says.

The six-part series debuts Wednesday