NCIS season 20: Who is Billy Mac? (NCIS dedication explained)

NCIS fans tuning into a new episode of CBS’s hit primetime drama on Monday night found themselves left with a bit of an unexpected mystery following the conclusion of the episode. After the team’s latest case was solved and episode 16, “Butterfly Effect” came to a close, fans were greeted by a special dedication which created a lot of interest among fans of the show.

Before the credits began to roll, the long-running crime drama tipped its hat to one Billy Mac with a special dedication to close the episode. “In memory of our dear friend and colleague, Billy Mac. We will miss you,” the dedication card read with a photo of Mac accompanying the sweet message.

The dedication was clearly designed to pay tribute to Mac, but what exactly was his connection to NCIS?

NCIS Billy Mac in memoriam explained

If the name Billy Mac did not immediately ring a bell as you finished episode 16 of NCIS season 20, this is likely due to the fact that Mac was not a member of the cast. Instead, he was part of the crew who worked behind the scenes to help create the show we all know and love.

While details are scarce, a social media post from February posted on an NCIS updates account notes that Mac sadly passed away recently. “Billy Mac, a crew member on NCIS, sadly passed away recently. We send our condolences and love to Billy’s family and the NCIS cast & crew,” read the tweet shared on Feb. 25, 2023.

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The tweet from the NCIS Updates page was accompanied by a photo similar to the one used within the dedication from the March 13 episode as well as a photo of a clapperboard from season 20 which seems to pay tribute to the late Mac.