David Blaine reveals the one reason why he hesitated to kiss a snake while filming his new series

ANAHEIM -- David Blaine is showing fans real magic from all over the world! The endurance artist explored numerous countries and it was captured in a thrilling six-part series called "David Blaine: Do Not Attempt" for National Geographic.

While chatting with "On The Red Carpet" at D23 in August 2024, Blaine shared his excitement for his new docu-series, "For 30 years, I've been with ABC Disney. But now for the first time - and I'm still with Disney - it's with National Geographic." He explained how for the first time instead of just showing off tricks, he's demonstrating to fans "the learning curve" of how to accomplish things he considers magic.

The 51-year-old performer said, "things that are real, that people have spent their entire lifetimes working on their passion, they've dedicated themselves through work and pain and struggle to make their work look effortless, which is magical. And they're letting me into their secrets, they're teaching me. I'm failing. I'm embarrassing myself. I'm learning something. It's been an incredible experience."

And speaking of incredible experiences, that includes kissing King Cobras, the world's longest venomous snake. Blaine shared why he was hesitant to do it, "it took me a long time because I have a daughter now and obviously I promised her that nothing would go wrong."

He teased the docu-series will have "difficult" moments to watch, "another person that knows how to submerge themselves in fire and walk around like nothing is happening. Another person that knows how to push a huge skewer through his neck and pull it out and there's nothing, nothing wrong. So, there's lots of people. We travel to India, Southeast Asia, Japan, the Arctic Circle, Brazil. So, I've traveled everywhere to show what I considered to be magic and it's been incredible."

Blaine also weighed in on his appreciation for escape artist, Harry Houdini, "as a kid, I would watch clips of Harry Houdini and he wrote a book called 'Miracle Mongers and Their Methods' and he would travel in the circuit and he would study all the performers that had these unbelievable skills. And he wrote about them but because transportation was so different then, he didn't have the same access we have now. So, I've been lucky because I've been able to travel around the world to seek out the most incredible people with the most extraordinary skills and then sometimes they let me into their secrets."

"David Blaine: Do Not Attempt" premieres on National Geographic on March 23 at 9/8c and will start streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of National Geographic, Hulu, Disney+ and this ABC station.