The Pitt’s Patrick Ball Played Langdon-Robby Confrontation Like a Breakup

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During the tenth hour of work at The Pitt, a tense situation between characters escalates significantly. Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball), the confident senior ER resident who appears to be a strong contender for Noah Wyle’s character Dr. Robby in terms of leadership, is introduced. He exudes charm and banter, but we later learn that he’s under tremendous pressure to manage both his professional and personal life. Throughout the season, Langdon forms a relationship with newcomer resident Mel (Taylor Dearden), while butting heads frequently with another intern, Dr. Santos (Isa Briones).

However, things are more complex than they seem: by episode ten, Dr. Santos has begun to suspect that Langdon is over-prescribing benzodiazepines to his patients and stealing the excess for personal use. She confides in Dr. Robby, and in a heated exchange at the end of the episode, Robby confronts Langdon, searches his locker, and discovers his stash of pain medication. As Langdon attempts to explain himself, claiming a back injury from helping his parents move, Robby orders him to leave the hospital.

Apart from a guest appearance on “Law & Order”, “The Pitt” marks Ball’s debut in television roles. Although some viewers might have been taken aback by this turn of events, Ball was well aware that conflict was imminent right from the beginning. Interestingly, it was during his audition scene with Wyle that he encountered this confrontation, although the specifics of how the show’s plot would lead Langdon and Robby to this point were uncertain as filming began.

Ball spent his childhood watching “ER” alongside his parents, who are medical professionals themselves. This background proved invaluable during his audition with Wyle. As Ball recalls, “John Wells said, ‘Take whatever time you need,'” to which he responded, “John Wells, I was made for this. Let’s get started!

It was no secret to them from quite early on in the process that Langdon was taking pain medication, though it wasn’t initially part of the audition stages. When they decided to have me screen test, they incorporated a scene from episode ten for the first time, marking my debut in such activities. They flew me out to L.A., brought me to executive producer John Wells’s headquarters, and there I was with Noah. We performed the initial scenes that were just light banter, and then we reached the intense emotional scene, which caught everyone by surprise.

How did it feel to plunge headlong into that battle? For Noah, it was a casual affair filled with laughter and playfulness. It didn’t seem significant or valuable. In many ways, he shares similar experiences with Langdon. He’s been in plenty of trouble. [Laughs.] That scene is the most break-up like you’ll find in The Pitt. Langdon considers them as close as a brother and mentor could be. He believes there’s an unspoken agreement that the trauma we face in our line of work is inevitable, and we just try to carry on bravely. But then Robby says, “No, you crossed the line. You’re on your own now because you made a mistake.

We’ve caught a few glimpses of Langdon’s life beyond the hospital; he has a family consisting of a wife and children, along with a new pet dog. How did you develop his background that led him to this point?

Langdon is a young father juggling between home and work, often not having the time to fully comprehend his emotions. He’s always focused on doing the right thing for others – be it a patient, a child, or even his wife who takes care of their toddler while he’s away pursuing his dream career. Langdon is someone striving to become the person others rely on him to be. There’s an element of ego and pride in that role, but also a massive sense of responsibility. He understands the gravity of his role because if he fails, lives are at stake.

How did you deal with the situation when you were aware of the upcoming fight and had to shoot all the episodes before it? Given that the final episode would unveil crucial details about Langdon, how did your approach change in each scene as you progressed through the series?

Have you ever watched ER? It’s noteworthy that one of the characters, Carter, battled a painkiller addiction for back pain in this series. Interestingly enough, my parents are both long-time nurses and paramedics who used to watch two shows every week, including ER and The West Wing. Now, I find myself working alongside them. When this job opportunity presented itself, I deliberately avoided rewatching ER because our projects were completely different and I didn’t want any conscious or unconscious influence from it. However, just before my screen test, I decided to watch a single random episode, and guess what? I picked the one where Carter was sent to rehab! It was quite intriguing, though I’m relieved I didn’t see more than I did. Watching ER might lead you to believe that Carter is his character on the show, but the man I had the pleasure of working with and who has become a close friend is quite different from that persona. I’m grateful I didn’t focus too much on his past work.

How does it feel for your parents to see you on The Pitt? Well, my mom texts me her concerns, especially about me not wearing safety goggles during trauma scenes. I often respond with a playful, “Mom, can’t a guy catch a break?” Interestingly, I’ve been subtly working on developing my character’s relationship with the nurses, as that mirrors my mom’s profession. I aim to make these relationships as authentic and respectful as possible. Kristin Villanueva, who portrays Princess, and I have nurtured a unique dynamic where she often reprimands me for forgetting my gloves in the chaos, but I’m usually the hasty, scatterbrained character. Despite their initial apprehensions, they’ve grown to enjoy it. They were there when I did the screen test, read through the episodes with me, and their first reaction was, “This feels genuine.

In your analysis, you’re intrigued by the contrasting interactions between Robert Langdon and both Mel and Santos. Let’s delve into Santos first: What do you believe triggers his confrontational behavior with Langdon?

In working alongside Isa Briones (Santos), I find her talent and shared background in theater truly captivating, much like a joint tinkering process we engage in. However, the relationship between Langdon and Santos is tense. On her initial day, Santos struts in with an air of self-assurance, proclaiming “I’m the best,” which clashes with Langdon’s longstanding tenure at the institution. Langdon values hierarchy and respect for authority deeply, so when someone challenges this structure, it stirs up conflict.

However, I speculate that in some ways, Langdon may have been similar to Santos when he first started out – there is a degree of projection involved. It’s a generational dynamic as well. Robby was schooled in a strict mentorship tradition, and I suspect Langdon was too. But the dialogue between mentors and mentees has evolved, and what we consider acceptable has changed over time.

With Mel, Langdon forms a genuine bond, and their relationship exudes a comforting warmth. I found it endearing how he recognized that a task like extracting gravel from a man’s wound was perfectly suited to her skills.

In other words, Taylor is remarkably skilled at portraying characters like Mel, who are unlike her in real life. Langdon admires Mel for her dedication, altruism, and the care she provides for her sister, which mirrors his own role as a parent. He recognizes that she carries a similar burden of responsibility. Moreover, Mel’s perspective on the world resonates with Langdon’s understanding of their shared profession; there’s a mutual appreciation for the necessity of compartmentalizing aspects of life to ensure survival.

She’s not only compassionate and giving, which is crucial for Langdon, but she also helps him grasp leadership skills, a concept I discussed with Noah initially. You see, Langdon is learning to distinguish between being a worker and a manager. He believes he excels at his task and simply needs to keep going. However, Robby is trying to guide him on what it takes to be a leader – stepping back and recognizing the unique contributions others make. This is something Mel can help him with. When we work together on an autistic patient, Langdon often fails to see the missing pieces, but Mel steps in and educates us about how the care this individual requires might differ from what other patients need.

In this series, we prioritize authenticity when depicting medical procedures on screen. Out of all scenes filmed, the most challenging one was an episode where we performed a reverse cricothyrotomy on a child. Our actor Robby had to insert a wire backwards through the child’s throat while I was reaching inside with gauze and forceps to prepare for the breathing tube. To make matters more complicated, we couldn’t cut around this sequence as all props needed to be exchanged due to their varying lengths based on what went inside the actor. Moreover, we had to accurately use Ancient Greek medical terms during filming because any mistake would be quickly pointed out by knowledgeable viewers online.

Your parents will call!
And I wouldn’t be able to go home for Thanksgiving.

How do you manage to remember all those technical terms? My background in theater comes in handy. Approaching lines like a Shakespearean actor can make them sound overly formal, almost like Laurence Olivier. If you try to sound intelligent during a medical scene, it doesn’t feel authentic. The key is to concentrate on the purpose behind the action. We received two weeks of medical training at the start of filming and learned about the idea of “thick slicing.” When doctors are questioning each other using all these terms, they’re actually trying to rule out wide ranges of possibilities. When I speak, I’m essentially trying to focus on the options I’m narrowing down.

Have you been noticing the audience reactions towards the series? I’m intrigued to understand your emotions when you’re aware that Robby and Langdon’s significant fight is approaching, but by episode nine, the show has begun subtly suggesting that Santos is onto something about him.

We’ve received a tremendous amount of feedback, with countless real-life healthcare professionals expressing their gratitude in my DMs. It gives me a wonderful, comforting feeling. However, I hosted an Oscars viewing party for my girlfriend and her friends, and they all seemed to detest Langdon, favoring Santos instead. My response was simply, “fascinating.” “Keep watching,” I added.

The situation is fascinating because the show aired while we were still filming. The audience has been learning about these characters and expressing their opinions, but I have to keep reminding myself, “okay, okay.” They’ve only seen through a certain number of episodes, and their opinions are valid based on that information, but it’s just one step in a long journey.

Has The Pitt been renewed for another season? Are there plans for Langdon to return as well? I really hope so, because this series is one of my favorites and I’d be thrilled to rejoin the cast.

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2025-03-13 22:56