Halle Berry’s dress on Leno distracts ‘Tonight Show’ host

Halle Berry’s dress on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” had the late-show host conspicuously ogling the Bond girl Monday night.

Berry, who’s bantered with Leno often during her frequent appearances on “The Tonight Show,” stopped by to promote her latest film “The Call.” She also dropped the knowledge bomb that she would be returning to “X-Men,” but Leno seemed more staggered by her plunging-to-the-belly-button Reem Acra mini-dress, which showcased an ample amount of cleavage.

Leno kept the conversation on her wardrobe, including her other black and silver dress -- you know, the striped Versace gown that landed her on the Oscars’ best dressed list.

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Berry, 46, divulged that she almost didn’t wear the long-sleeved frock because it barely made its way to her in time for the show. Of course, Leno asked her if she’d been planning to go naked instead.

“I had a conversation with Donatella Versace. We told her that I wanted to go to the Oscars as a Bond girl, like if a Bond girl would go in 2013,” the star said. “So she came up with what her idea of it was, but, you know, she’s out of the country. So she put it in a suitcase and shipped it here and I got it a day before the Oscars.”

Berry said she had another “very pretty” dress on hand, but when the Versace gown arrived “it fit perfectly,” she said, simulating thunder-and-lightning sound effects when she got it.

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“I felt like I was -- you’ll appreciate this -- wearing a Ferrari,” she added, appealing to Leno’s penchant for exotic cars.

“I enjoy driving a Ferrari,” he replied suggestively, much to the chagrin of the audience. “Can you drive a stick shift? I’m curious. I’m just asking you, can you drive a manual transmission?”

“Yes, very well,” the Oscar-winner responded.

“Oh, boy, you’re like my dream girl now,” he added.

Down, boy. Leno went on to ask her how many times she shot her water-emerging scene for “Die Another Day” (15 times) then quizzed her on her Bond-girl knowledge.

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Berry also confirmed rumors that she had signed on to return to the second “X-Men” prequel, “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” as Storm, the weather-manipulating mutant.

“It’s a great role, and those residual checks don’t hurt!” Berry joked. “It’s a character that I love and fans really love the whole series. They really love Storm and it’s like family. It’s fun to get back together with Hugh [Jackman] and everybody. It’s good fun.”

[For the record, 3 p.m. March 12: A previous version of this post said Halle Berry starred in the latest Bond movie, “Skyfall.” In fact, she appeared in “Die Another Day.”]

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