Patrick Ball broke down in tears while revealing how his role on “The Pitt” paid off his college debt.

Ball — who plays Dr. Frank Langdon on the critically acclaimed HBO show — said that he paid off his student loans totaling $80,000 three months into working on the series.

“That was a really profound moment ‘cause I thought I was gonna die with it,” he told Cultured magazine in an interview published Tuesday. “It’s a huge burden to carry, and a lot of people carry it.”

Doctor Langdon in scrubs with a stethoscope and ID badge.
“The Pitt” star Patrick Ball cried after sharing that the HBO show paid off his $80,000 school debt.Warrick Page/MAX

A doctor wearing protective gear and safety glasses reviews information on a computer monitor in a medical setting.
Ball, who plays Dr. Frank Langdon on the show, said he was able to pay off the debt in three months after landing the role.
The actor — who attended both the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the Yale School of Drama — said his financial insecurity was a big problem for him in his past failed relationships.

“I had just thought that was going to be my life forever, and that is a really heavy thing to live with,” he shared. “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.”

Ball said he was seriously considering quitting acting six months before he landed the role on “The Pitt” because he was struggling so bad financially.

Patrick Ball in a dark brown suit at the Los Angeles premiere of HBO Max's "The Pitt".
Ball, pictured here in January, admitted that being financially insecure affected his past relationships.Getty Images

Patrick Ball poses in a pinstripe suit and light gray shirt, hands in pockets, in front of a blue grid background with yellow letters spelling "THE PITT" and the Max Original logo.
He also said that one point he worked four odd jobs in New York. He’s pictured here in November 2025.Getty Images for HBO Max

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“I was looking for an off-ramp,” he admitted.

Ball, 36, recalled the odd jobs he had, which included working four jobs in New York.

“I was working at a coffee shop, I was working at a restaurant, I was working as a wardrobe assistant for ‘And Just Like That,’ I was doing these corporate coaching seminars,” he said.

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Doctors and nurses working on a patient in an operating room.
“The Pitt” features an ensemble cast led by “ER” alum Noah Wyle.

Damian Marcano, Katherine LaNasa, Noah Wyle, Shawn Hatosy, R. Scott Gemmill, Patrick Ball and Amanda Marsalis posing with their award.
The show has been a critics favorite since it debuted in January 2025. The cast is seen here at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards in January.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association
“I was doing these seminars where they’d bring me into Blackrock and Blackstone and Goldman Sachs, and they would want to teach these young administrators how to have difficult conversations, à la how to fire somebody,” he continued. “They would bring me in as an actor so that these administrators could get practice firing someone. “

“The Pitt” — which won a SAG Actor Award in the outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series category this year — has been a huge hit for HBO.

The medical drama is led by “ER” alum Noah Wyle. The actor made a rare appearance with his wife, Sara, and their two children — Auden, 20, and Owen, 23 — at “The Pitt” season 2 premiere in January.