Despite Leonov's brief appearance in Danelia's "Autumn Marathon" (1980) (one of his most popular films), the role won him the Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. In "Autumn Marathon", it is said, Leonov brilliantly demonstrates the typical Leonov anti-hero. He gave a hilarious portrayal of a simple, nosey man who drank too much and who adored nothing more than talking nonsense as long as anyone could stand it. Among the other films he was instrumental in raising to the classic level were "Gentlemen of Fortune" and "The Belorussia Station," both made in 1971. Like all of Leonov's movies, they are frequently rerun on television. Reportedly, "Leonov was to Russians what Fernandel was to the French." He performed over 200 roles and was the Russian cinema's best-known supporting actor.