Patrick Ball’s journey to playing Dr. Frank Langdon on HBO Max’s The Pitt did not follow the usual Hollywood path. Before the show earned five Emmy Awards and before Ball received his Critics Choice Awards nomination, he was working three jobs in Brooklyn and thinking about leaving acting behind.
The 36-year-old actor, who grew up in Summerfield, North Carolina, spent more than 12 years building his career in theater. He performed in regional productions across the country, often landing lead roles in major plays. But each time a show ended, he would return to New York with little money and had to start over.
“I spent 12 years hustling and pounding the pavement, working for $700 a week. I’d play the lead in a big [theater] show, move back to Brooklyn with nothing to show for it, and have to start again from scratch.”
— Patrick Ball
A Self-Tape That Changed Everything
Ball’s audition for The Pitt came through a self-tape, a standard process where actors record themselves and submit the video for casting consideration. He told E! News at the Critics Choice Awards that 18 months before the show, he was living in Brooklyn and working multiple jobs, including making coffee.
The self-tape stood out because of how Ball approached the medical dialogue. Rather than focusing on impressing with technical terms, he prioritized the relationships between characters. The audition sides he received included a scene with Dr. Langdon treating a trauma patient while interacting with other staff members.
Ball shared with Awards Focus that he focused on making the medical language secondary to the action and relationships. He explained that doctors do not stop to appreciate how complex their procedures sound—they just do their jobs. That understanding helped him move past trying to sound impressive and instead focus on being present in the scene.
From Theater Training to Television
Ball graduated from the Yale School of Drama with his Master of Fine Arts degree. Before Yale, he studied at UNC Greensboro, where a professor named John Gulley gave him a chance when he was struggling. Gulley cast him as the lead in a demanding play, and that experience taught Ball what it felt like to take his craft seriously.
His background in Shakespeare and classical theater gave him tools he used on The Pitt. He told Awards Focus that working with heightened text prepared him to handle medical terminology with confidence.
“Most of us don’t know what a supraclavicular subclavian is. But if I know what it is and more importantly what I need to do to save the patient in front of me, the language comes last. It becomes about the action.”
— Patrick Ball
Learning the ER on Set
The Pitt takes place over a single 15-hour shift across 15 episodes. The show employs real medical professionals who work on set every day. Medical director Dr. Joe Sachs, a practicing ER physician, helps ensure accuracy in every scene.
The cast went through medical boot camp before filming began. They learned terminology, basic procedures, and spent time with doctors to understand how they carry themselves. Ball’s parents are also healthcare workers—his mother is an ER nurse and his father is a paramedic. That background gave him a personal connection to the material.
Ball said the set itself, designed by production designer Nina Ruscio, takes up an entire soundstage. The cast and crew stay in the hospital environment all day without retreating to trailers between takes. This approach helps maintain the intense, kinetic energy that defines the show.
The Role That Almost Did Not Happen
Before The Pitt, Ball had only one on-screen credit—a guest appearance on Law & Order in 2023. He had auditioned for film and television projects for years and came close several times, but nothing worked out.
The uncertainty led him to consider moving back to North Carolina. He was working three jobs in Brooklyn, including making coffee, while continuing to audition. When The Pitt came along, it was a self-tape that finally broke through.
Now, with the show in its second season and already renewed for a third, Ball’s career has shifted completely. He earned a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and The Pitt won Best Drama Series at both the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes.
Playing Addiction and Recovery
Dr. Frank Langdon’s storyline in The Pitt deals with addiction. In season one, viewers learned Langdon was stealing prescription drugs from the hospital. The character went to rehab and returned in season two trying to rebuild trust with his colleagues.
Ball has been open about his own experience with recovery. He told L’OFFICIEL that he wanted to show that recovery is a process, not a single moment of change. Langdon returns to work without his old confidence, carrying shame and uncertainty about his place in the ER.
The actor also shared that real ER workers on set would tell him addiction is a problem at every hospital where they have worked. That feedback reinforced his commitment to telling the story responsibly.
“I wanted to present Langdon as someone struggling in a way that most people wouldn’t even flag. He’s incredibly front-footed, always wanting to be where the action is. He also needs to be the best at whatever he does, and that includes recovery.”
— Patrick Ball
Connecting With Fans and Setting Boundaries
As The Pitt gained popularity, Ball noticed fans creating content about his character on social media. He told PEOPLE that he appreciated seeing the support but also had to learn to set boundaries.
Some fans traveled to Los Angeles to see him perform in a production of Hamlet at the Mark Taper Forum. Ball said meeting them in person was when he realized how much the show had connected with audiences. But he also admitted the attention can get intense, so he has stepped back from reading online comments.
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Returning to the Stage
Despite his television success, Ball continues to work in theater. He is making his Broadway debut in a dark comedy called Becky Shaw this month. He told L’OFFICIEL that theater fills him up in ways that screen work does not.
When asked about his career shift from working three jobs to awards recognition, Ball said he tries to stay grounded. He keeps a bonsai tree given to him by his parents and waters it every day. That routine reminds him to focus on the present instead of worrying about what comes next.
“Life feels like it’s moving really fast this year. Every day I go out and water this thing, it reminds me that all I have to do is focus on today. If you just focus on today, the rest of it will take care of itself.”
— Patrick Ball
The Pitt season two airs Thursdays on HBO Max, with new episodes available weekly.
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