Patrick Ball Had Some Major Money Troubles Before Starring In The Pitt

Currently starring as floppy-haired Dr. Frank Langdon on HBO's "The Pitt," Patrick Ball is one of several cast members with some tragedy in their past. Ball's journey to fame took a route familiar to many millennials — he had to pivot to pursue his career, taking on a fair amount of student loan debt in the process.

Ball took on debt to study acting, though that wasn't the initial plan. He originally majored in broadcast journalism at the University of North Carolina, but things changed drastically. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ball revealed that he dropped out of college and "spent about five years doing regional theater." After feeling he'd "reached a plateau," Ball set his sights on Broadway, and he used the Yale School of Drama to get him there. "Yale was willing to accept professional acting experience in lieu of a degree," Ball said of his choice, and while he was thankful to get accepted, it did come with an $80,000 price tag.

Taking on this much debt to pursue a relatively new dream without financial stability shook his family quite a bit, with Ball even admitting to the Hollywood Reporter, "It was a scary gamble!" One that his parents tried to talk him out of, too, with Ball explaining, "They were worried about me taking on all that debt and wondering why I would do that to myself." However, it was ultimately for the best that he took the risk, considering it paid off big when he snagged his role on "The Pitt."

Patrick Ball has admitted that the cloud of debt hanging over him had even affected several relationships; the erasure of his debt also erased the financial insecurity that was interfering with his romantic life. Now, he is one of several stars of "The Pitt" with a significant other who has appeared on the show, and the show is largely to thank for him digging out of his own money pit. "I paid off my student loans like three months into 'The Pitt,'" he admitted between tears.

The role of Dr. Langdon is Ball's first major onscreen performance, and though the ensemble cast often rotates between seasons, even just being in those first few episodes gave him the funds he needed to feel okay. "I'm employed, I can pay off my student loans, I've already won," he told The Hollywood Reporter. Ball isn't even the only cast member that "The Pitt" has helped provide with a sense of financial security.

After an 11-year stint on "ER," Noah Wyle found himself in financial trouble after struggling to find well-paying work. With Wyle playing the tender but tortured Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, his return to medical dramas has once again allowed him to be financially stable. According to Deadline, every actor on "The Pitt" makes anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 per episode, allowing both Wyle and Ball to find financial footing after hard times.