HBO
Patrick Ball is one of the breakout stars of The Pitt, and in an emotional interview, he’s revealed how the HBO hit rescued him from $80,000 of student debt.
The Pitt has been a critical and commercial smash for HBO, scoring huge audience numbers, and winning a slew of awards at the Emmys and Golden Globes.
Former ER hearthrob Noah Wyle heads up the cast, but it has also made stars of its largely unknown ensemble, including Patrick Ball, who delivers a powerful and nuanced performance as troubled senior resident Frank Langdon.
Langdon’s drug addiction was uncovered in Season 1, while Season 2 has seen him trying to rebuild both his career and reputation. And in a new interview with the actor, Ball has revealed that landing the role saved his career.
Patrick Ball paied off his student loan three months into The Pitt
HBO
Patrick Ball spent years acting in local theater before completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina, which allowed him to turn his Certificate of Drama from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale into a Master of Fine Arts degree.
But those studies took a toll on the jobbing actor financially, and when Cultured asked Ball how it felt now it’s all worked out, he “began to cry,” before explaining:
“I paid off my student loans like three months into The Pitt, and that was a really profound moment ‘cause I thought I was gonna die with it. It’s a huge burden to carry, and a lot of people carry it. I was $80,000 in debt and I had been through a series of failed relationships where my financial insecurity was a real problem.
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“I had just thought that was going to be my life forever, and that is a really heavy thing to live with. Paying off those student loans and getting back to zero, I remember being like, ‘Man, if this show works, great. If it doesn’t work, they can’t take that away from me. I am out of debt.’ No take-backsies on that.”
But that shouldn’t be an issue, because as well as paying off his debt, Ball is currently appearing on Broadway opposite Alden Ehrenreich in acclaimed new play ‘Beck Shaw,’ while The Pitt was renewed for a third season even before Season 2 dropped.
