Patrick Ball Was Happy to Bet on Himself

As season one of The Pitt wound down, Patrick Ball was convinced his character wouldn’t be returning to the show. “The ego of an actor means, generally speaking, you’re always sure that you’re the worst one and that you’re the most likely to get fired,” he laughs. “I, however, did have a unique claim to this anxiety because my character was literally fired from the hospital — and he did steal drugs.”

The 36-year-old actor, who plays Dr. Frank Langdon on the venerated hospital drama, was ready to take it all in stride. The gig on The Pitt was his first major onscreen role, capping off a decade-long grind that included New York theater and a midcareer pivot to Yale Drama School. “I was like, I’m employed, I can pay off my student loans, I’ve already won,” he says. “Nothing else needs to happen, there’s no takesies-backsies on that.”

And yet, Ball held onto hope that the writers would find a way for Dr. Langdon to return to Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. There is a strong ethical and moral spine to the storylines on The Pitt, and Ball knew how important that would be in a storyline about addiction. “I would like to believe, as somebody who is four years sober, that we are not damning people who struggle with addiction, and that rehabilitation and reintegration would be part of this story.” Finally, showrunner John Wells called with the news that they’d decided to start season two 10 months after the events of the first season, which would allow Dr. Langdon ample time to go through rehab and outpatient counseling.

Below, Ball talks to The Hollywood Reporter about his character’s progression, how he’s celebrated the show’s success and his favorite gifts from The Pitt fandom.

Full Article:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/patrick-ball-the-pitt-season-2-dr-langdon-interview-1236501867/