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THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Inception' 13 years later — from Elliot Page to Leo DiCaprio

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Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the 2010 film "Inception."Warner Bros.; Steve Granitz/Getty Images
  • Christopher Nolan's film "Inception" was released 13 years ago.

  • Several of the cast members have joined other projects spearheaded by the filmmaker.

  • Here's what the "Inception" actors have been working on since the film's 2010 premiere.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Leonardo DiCaprio starred as Dominick Cobb, a man who infiltrates his targets' dreams to collect information.

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Leonardo DiCaprio as Dominick Cobb in "Inception."Warner Bros. Pictures

The Los Angeles-born actor grew up onscreen and became a global sensation after playing Jack Dawson in 'Titanic" (1997). He then appeared in films like "Catch Me If You Can" (2002), "The Aviator" (2004), and "Shutter Island" (2010).

Actors like Brad Pitt and Will Smith were reportedly offered the role of Dominick Cobb before DiCaprio was cast as the "Inception" lead.

 

He's an Academy Award-winning actor who's played the lead in several box-office hits.

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DiCaprio won his first Oscar for "The Revenant" (2015).Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

After his role in "Inception," DiCaprio took on ambitious Hollywood projects like "Django Unchained" (2012), "The Great Gatsby" (2013), and "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013).

In 2015, he starred in the survival drama "The Revenant," winning his first Academy Award for his performance as a frontiersman navigating brutal conditions in the wild.

In 2019, he gained attention for playing a washed-up actor named Rick Dalton in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood."

Most recently, DiCaprio's been working on Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," a drama set among the Osage tribe in Osage County, Nebraska. The film will be released in October 2023.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt played Arthur, Cobb's right-hand man.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur in "Inception."Warner Bros.

As a child, the actor appeared on the television series "3rd Rock From the Sun" before moving into film. Gordon-Levitt then matured into challenging projects like "Latter Days" (2003) and "The Lookout" (2007).

His performance as a heartbroken romantic in the 2009 indie hit "(500) Days of Summer" gained attention from critics, and he also played The Doctor/Rex in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (2009) before working on Nolan's film.

He's appeared in numerous critically acclaimed films in addition to proving his ability behind the camera.

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Gordon-Levitt took up directing in 2013, stepping behind the camera to make the film "Don Jon."Faye Sadou/MediaPunch /IPX/AP

Gordon-Levitt worked with Nolan again as Blake in "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012). He also appeared in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" (2012) and played NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in "Snowden" (2016).

He appeared in Netflix's science-fiction film "Project Power" in 2020, and played Uber founder and CEO Travis Kalanick in the Showtime series "Super Pumped" in 2022.

Since "Inception," he's stepped behind the camera in addition to acting. "Don Jon," a 2013 film about a porn addict who falls in love and must confront his intimacy issues, marked Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut.

He also did voiceover work in Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" and "Glass Onion" films.

Marion Cotillard played Mal, Cobb's late wife who attempts to sabotage his missions.

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Marion Cotillard as Mal in "Inception."Warner Bros.

Prior to playing Cobb's late wife Mal in "Inception," the French actress had small roles on television and film before snagging screen time in the 1998 hit "Taxi."

Soon after, Cotillard gave a critically acclaimed performance as Sophie in "Love Me If You Dare" (2003) and successfully transitioned to Hollywood with her role as Josephine Bloom in the fantasy movie "Big Fish" (2003).

In 2007, Cotillard gained global attention — and awards, including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA — for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose."

She also appeared in "Public Enemies" (2009) and "Nine" (2009) before landing her role as the femme fatale in "Inception."

The French actress worked with Nolan again after "Inception" and continues to appear in international films.

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Marion Cotillard has filmed campaigns for Dior and Chanel.Francois Durand / Getty Images

After "Inception" wrapped, Cotillard appeared in Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) as Miranda Tate, an executive of Wayne Enterprises.

In more recent years, she's had roles in "Rock'n Roll" (2017) and "Ismael's Ghosts" (2017), and voiced a character in "Dolittle" (2020). Cotillard also starred opposite Adam Driver in "Annette," a 2021 musical that kicked off the Cannes Film Festival.

Outside of filming, she's been the face of luxury advertising campaigns for brands like Dior and Chanel. Cotillard has also used her platform for environmental activism, serving as a longtime spokesperson for the NGO Greenpeace.

Cillian Murphy played Robert Fischer, the heir to a multi-billion dollar fortune.

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Cillian Murphy as Robert Fischer in "Inception."Warner Bros.

Before taking on the role of Robert Fischer in "Inception," the Irish actor caught his big on-screen break in the post-apocalyptic film "28 Days Later" (2002).

His other early credits included "Intermission" (2003), "Red Eye" (2005), and "Breakfast on Pluto" (2005).

Murphy worked with Nolan for the first time as Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in "Batman Begins" (2005). He reprised the role in Nolan's sequel, "Dark Knight," (2008) before appearing as the target of Cobb's corporate espionage in "Inception."

 

 

He's become well-known for his lead role on "Peaky Blinders."

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Cillian Murphy stars at Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 Christopher Nolan film "Oppenheimer."Arturo Holmes / Getty Images

After "Inception," Murphy appeared in a number of Nolan's films, including "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012), "Transcendence" (2014), " and "Dunkirk" (2017). 

He's become known for his television role as Thomas Shelby on the historical crime show "Peaky Blinders," where he reunited with fellow "Inception" castmate Tom Hardy.

Murphy was also cast alongside Emily Blunt in "A Quiet Place Part II," which premiered in 2021 following a string of pandemic-induced delays.

His latest Nolan collaboration is "Oppenheimer," in which he'll play Robert J. Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb during World War II.

Elliot Page played Ariadne, an architecture student tasked with designing dreams.

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Elliot Page as Ariadne in "Inception."Warner Bros. Picture - © 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Page appeared in a series of television shows like "Pit Pony," "Trailer Park Boys," and "ReGenesis" before his breakthrough role as a pregnant teenager in the romantic comedy "Juno" (2007).

He also had parts in "Smart People" (2008) and "Whip It" (2009) before being cast as an intelligent, curious architecture student in "Inception," which was his first time working with Nolan.

Page admitted in his 2023 memoir "Pageboy" that he came down with a case of shingles while shooting "Inception" because he was suffering high levels of stress while working on the project and trying to navigate "chaos" in his personal life.

"Despite everyone being delightful to work with, I felt out of place," he wrote of the Christopher Nolan-directed movie, adding: "In a cast full of cis men, I did not understand the role I found myself in."

He's played a wide range of characters and is a cast member on Netflix's "The Umbrella Academy."

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Elliot Page more recently starred in Netflix's "The Umbrella Academy."Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb

Page has proven his on-screen versatility since filming "Inception" in 2010.

He's appeared in films like the romantic satire "To Rome With Love" (2012), the action-packed "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014), and the drama "Tallulah" (2016).

Most recently, he starred on Netflix's "The Umbrella Academy," a series based on Gerard Way's comic book series of the same name.

At the end of 2020, Page came out as transgender and said he uses both he/him and they/them pronouns.

In 2023, he released his memoir, "Pageboy."

Michael Caine played professor Stephen Miles, the protagonist's father-in-law and mentor.

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Michael Caine as Stephen Miles in "Inception."Stephen Vaughan - © 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment

Long before he played Cobb's father-in-law, the British actor was an icon in the film industry.

The Oscar-winning actor — for his roles in "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Cider House Rules" — has been acting since the '50s and gained attention for breakthrough performances in films like "Alfie" (1966) and "The Italian Job" (1969).

He worked with Nolan for the first time in "Batman Begins" (2005) and has appeared in over 100 films.

The actor had a role in Nolan's 2020 film "Tenet."

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Michael Caine.John Phillips/Getty Images

Caine has established a strong partnership with Nolan since their first collaboration in 2005 and has since been cast in eight of the filmmaker's projects — including "Interstellar" (2014), "Dunkirk" (2017), and "Tenet" (2020).

The actor has also stayed busy with roles in a variety of other films, such as "Twist," an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist," and "Now You See Me 3," the third installment of the popular heist franchise.

Ken Watanabe was cast as Saito, a wealthy business mogul who hires Cobb to plant an idea in his rival's subconscious.

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Ken Watanabe as Saito in "Inception."Melissa Moseley SMPSP - © 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Watanabe had a long film career in Japan before Western audiences were introduced to him in "The Last Samurai" (2003).

Two years later, he worked with Nolan for the first time as Ra's al Ghul in "Batman Begins."

Nolan had such a positive experience working with Watanabe that he wrote the character of Saito with the actor in mind.

"I wrote the part specifically for Ken because I wanted to work with him again. I enjoyed directing him so much on 'Batman Begins,' but his role was smaller and we didn't have a lot of time together," Nolan told Warner Bros.

"This time I made sure he had a bigger part. Ken is an extremely charismatic performer, a true movie star. He is a consummate actor who knows how to get the most out of every scene. It's just a pleasure to watch him work," he added.

He's been in several major blockbuster films and the Max series "Tokyo Vice."

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Ken Watanabe went on to star in a revival of "The King & I."Arnold Jerocki / Getty Images

After "Inception," Watanabe appeared in "Transformers: Age of Extinction" (2014), "Godzilla" (2014), and a 2018 revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King & I."

More recently, he's appeared in "Pokémon:Detective Pikachu" (2019) and "Godzilla: King of Monsters" (2019).

Watanabe then appeared as a detective in the Tokyo Police Department in Max's 2022 series "Tokyo Vice," inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein's 2009 memoir.

 

Dileep Rao appeared as Yusuf, a man who concocts the drugs needed to enter the dream state.

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Dileep Rao as Yusuf in "Inception."Warner Bros.

Before playing Yusuf in "Inception," Rao starred in the supernatural horror film "Drag Me to Hell" (2009) and also appeared in the James Cameron hit film "Avatar" (2009).

In a 2020 interview with Film Companion he said, "I think we knew we were working with Chris on something original. You have to believe you can reach the audience in a special place. I think people love it because it's unlike anything else and it has shading and ambiguity in it."

He reprised his role as Max Patel in James Cameron's "Avatar" sequel.

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Dileep Rao is set to appear in the remaining "Avatar" films.Greg Doherty / Getty Images

Following his role in Nolan's film, Rao made appearances on several TV series including "Z Nation," "Con Man," and "Mr. Robot."

In 2022, he reprised his role as Dr. Max Patel in Avatar: The Way of Water," and is also set to appear in the upcoming films in the franchise. "The Way of Water" is the third highest-grossing film of all time, bringing in more than $2.3 billion at the box office.

Tom Hardy played Eames, who can transform into different people while inside of dreams.

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Tom Hardy as Eames in "Inception."Warner Bros.

Before he played the master impersonator in "Inception," Hardy was introduced to audiences as Twombly in his first film, "Black Hawk Down" (2001).

The British actor also landed roles in "Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002) and "RocknRolla" (2008).

"Inception" marked Hardy's first collaboration with Nolan.

He continued to work with Nolan and joined the Mad Max franchise.

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Tom Hardy starred in "Mad Max: Fury Road" following "Inception."Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

The relationships that the British actor formed while filming "Inception" carried over after the film wrapped.

Hardy went on to star in Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) and "Dunkirk" (2017). He also appeared alongside "Inception" costar Cillian Murphy in the series "Peaky Blinders," and in "The Revenant" with Leo DiCaprio.

Hardy tried his hand at the Marvel Cinematic Universe and took on the role of antihero Eddie Brock in "Venom." The series is currently on its third film.

In 2015, Hardy joined the Mad Max franchise as Max Rockatansky in "Mad Max: Fury Road." He'll revive the role in the upcoming film "Max Mad: Wasteland," though production has been delayed.

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