Patrick Ball has emerged as a rising actor in Hollywood following the debut of HBO Max’s medical drama The Pitt in 2025, where he portrays Dr. Frank Langdon, a senior emergency medicine resident struggling with prescription painkiller addiction. The character works under senior attending physician Dr. “Robby” and conceals his drug use while dealing with a back injury, creating central conflict in the series.
The Pitt represents a collaboration among veteran television figures, reuniting ER star Noah Wyle with writer R. Scott Gemmill and showrunner John Wells. The series has attracted substantial audiences and critical recognition, with its first season earning five Emmy Awards including outstanding drama series. In its second season, the show received 25 nominations, a leading count across the field.
Ball, age 36, received his first Emmy nomination this year in the outstanding supporting actor in a drama series category, marking recognition the Television Academy did not extend to him for his debut season work. In an interview at The Hollywood Reporter’s Los Angeles offices, Ball discussed his career trajectory, which included years of professional struggle and personal challenges before joining the cast.
Ball’s path to his current role has been shaped by his extensive theater experience and his own battles with substance addiction, from which he has now maintained four years of sobriety. He indicated that these personal experiences directly inform his portrayal of Langdon’s addiction storyline. Despite his commitments to The Pitt’s second and forthcoming third seasons, Ball has continued pursuing theater work, performing in productions both in Los Angeles and on Broadway in New York.
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