Former Governor Tom Vilsack will be guest this evening on "The Tonight Show" on NBC.  Host Jay Leno will first talk with comedian Jim Carrey, then Vilsack will stride on stage to sit on the famous television couch and chat. In December, Vilsack appeared on another late-night program — The Daily Show on Comedy Central.

During an interview with Radio Iowa just over a month ago, Vilsack talked about his reputation as a serious guy. "You know, I do have a sense of humor and I can make fun of myself and I can enjoy myself," Vilsack said. "I don’t know that I necessarily let the rest of the people of the state see that side of me."

Vilsack admits, though, he is "kind of a serious guy." According to Vilsack, he saw the panic among members of his staff before he went on The Daily Show. "They thought: ‘Oh my god, he’s going to go on a comedy show,’" Vilsack said. "’It’s going to be a disaster.’" The Tonight Show airs in Iowa at 10:35 p.m. Vilsack will likely be on sometime around 11 o’clock or after. Vilsack will be followed on the show by singer/songwriter Dustin Kensrue, who plans to perform his song "Pistol."

Audio: Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson report. :46 MP3

Radio Iowa