Inception Cast & Character Guide

Christopher Nolan’s star-studded Inception cast brings this ambitious sci-fi action movie to life. The story takes place in a future where ‘extractors’ have the ability to enter their target’s mind and retrieve important information at the wish of their clients. Inception follows two of these extractors as they journey deep into their target’s subconscious, gradually falling further and further into their dreams until they’re putting their own existence on the line. It’s a thrilling adventure from start to finish, and it practically reinvented the sci-fi genre using its complex filmmaking techniques.

Nolan’s bold storytelling is a highlight of Inception, and it’s through complex characters that he allows the story to shine. Despite being one of Christopher Nolan’s most confusing movies, Inception was incredibly successful and grew to be widely beloved by audiences Not only was the film nominated for Best Picture, but it has also long maintained its #14 position on IMDb’s Top 250 Movies of All Time list. It wouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful without this talented cast of actors in front of the camera, as everybody brings something unique and different to their role.

Leonardo DiCaprio As Dominic Cobb

Date Of Birth: November 11, 1974

Character: Dominic Cobb is the protagonist of Inception and the many whose desperate plan puts the movie into action. Known as the best extractor around, Cobb is also a man with a troubled past who sees this new impossible mission as his chance to return to his home and reunite with his kids after years in hiding. However, he also complicates the mission as his dreams are haunted by the memory of his dead wife.

Actor: Widely considered among the best actors in film history, Leonardo DiCaprio earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance as a young actor in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He has earned several other nominations in his career for the likes of The Aviator, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, while also winning Best Actor for The Revenant. He has also starred in hits like Titanic, Django Unchained, Catch Me If You Can, and The Departed.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt As Arthur

Date Of Birth: February 17, 1981

Character: Arthur is the second of Inception’s two extractors, but his role in the operation is much more focused on behind-the-scenes planning. He’s quieter than Dom, but his levels of intelligence and strategy are just as impressive when they need to be. He is also the member of the team who has known Cobb the longest and is aware of some of his liabilities, specifically when it comes to his late wife.

Actor: Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been acting from a young age, known for his early roles in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun and the teen movie 10 Things I Hate About You. He found more acclaimed success as an adult actor with notable movies like (500) Days of Summer, Looper, and Lincoln. Following Inception, Gordon-Levitt reteamed with Christopher Nolan, playing John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises.

Elliot Page As Ariadne

Date Of Birth: February 21, 1987

Character: Ariadne is an integral part of the story and serves an invaluable purpose for Cobb on his mission. She joins Cobb’s team as the architectural planner, working in the lab to devise the most effective methods of navigating these complex dreamspaces. The character also serves to teach the audience about the film’s many complex ideas, which makes her an immensely useful tool for the narrative.

Actor: Elliot Page is a Canadian actor whose career started in his home country in smaller projects before landing notable roles in Hard Candy and X-Men: The Last Stand. Page’s breakout role was as the titular character in the Oscar-winning comedy-drama Juno for which Page was nominated for an Oscar. Most recently, Page starred in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy as Viktor/Vanya Hargreeves.

Tom Hardy As Eames

Date Of Birth: September 15, 1977

Character: Eames is another hugely important member of Cobb’s extraction squad, providing the team with his expert knowledge of forgery and identity theft. He allows the group to effectively navigate the dream worlds without being detected, which makes Cobb’s and Arthur’s job much easier. He is also an expert at impersonating others. Eames is a suave and debonair criminal who also likes to tease Arthur.

Actor: Tom Hardy’s early roles as part of big ensembles in Black Hawk Down and Band of Brothers eventually led to his standing out in bigger Hollywood roles. Inception kickstarted a collaborative relationship with Christopher Nolan, with Hardy also appearing in The Dark Knight Rises as Bane and in Dunkirk as Farrier. He starred as Max in Mad Max: Fury Road and earned an Oscar nomination for his role alongside Inception costar Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant. Hardy also starred in the lead role in all three Venom movies.

Ken Watanabe As Mr. Saito

Date Of Birth: October 21, 1959

Character: Mr. Saito is the employer of Cobb’s team and the wealthy businessman who benefits from the entire operation. He doesn’t play a huge role in the actual journey of the central characters, but he’s constantly in the shadows and Watanabe ensures that his presence is constantly felt. His character perfectly raises the stakes of the film, putting an actual face to the mysterious force that’s brought all these talented individuals together.

Actor: Ken Watanabe was a renowned Japanese actor who found his first English-language role opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai. That role earned him an Oscar nomination, kicking off Watanabe’s Hollywood career, which included Batman Begins, Memoirs of a Geisha, Godzilla, and Detective Pikachu. Watanabe also starred in the crime thriller Tokyo Vice as Hiroto Katagiri.

Cillian Murphy As Robert Michael Fischer

Date Of Birth: May 25, 1976

Character: The wealthy heir to a business tycoon, Robert Michael Fischer is the target of Cobb’s entire operation, which aims to extract crucial information from his memories and bring him down for good. Murphy gave a brilliant performance as this immature millionaire, really playing with the ideas of petulance and impatience to make his character as annoying and frustrating as possible.

Actor: Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor whose breakout role in 28 Days Later led to a Hollywood career and several collaborations with Christopher Nolan. Murphy appeared as Scarecrow in all three Batman movies as well as appearing in Dunkirk and his Oscar-winning lead role in Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Murphy is also well known for his role as Thomas Shelby in the crime series Peaky Blinders, a role he will soon reprise in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.

Marion Cotillard As Mal Cobb

Date Of Birth: September 30, 1975

Character: Although she doesn’t have much time on-screen in Inception, Marion Cotillard’s character Mal is a hugely important aspect of the story. After marrying Cobb many years ago, she sadly took her own life, which caused her husband to suffer a severe breakdown of guilt. There are several exciting fan theories about her character in Inception, but she mostly serves as a manifestation of Cobb’s guilt and shame regarding his own involvement in her death. She’s a tragic character, but she’s necessary to understand Cobb’s own intentions and ideologies.

Actor: Marion Cotillard is a French actor who won an Oscar for her portrayal of French singer Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. She also received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Two Days, One Night. Her English-language roles include Big Fish, Public Enemies, Nine, Midnight in Paris, and Contagion. She will next be seen in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show for its fourth season.

Michael Caine As Professor Stephen Miles

Date Of Birth: March 14, 1933

Character: Professor Miles is another character who acts mostly from the shadows in Inception, serving as both Cobb’s personal mentor and Ariadne’s educational tutor. He’s the one that initially brings the pair together, recommending Ariadne for the job and giving Cobb all the advice that he’ll later use to execute the operation so effectively. He also shares a personal connection to Cobb as he is Mal’s father and knows that Cobb is innocent, wanting to help reunite him with his family.

Actor: Michael Caine is a legendary actor who won two Oscars for his performances in Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules while also being nominated four other times. He has starred in a number of iconic movies including Alfie, The Italian Job, Get Carter, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Muppets Christmas Carol, and Children of Men. He starred as Alfred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies and reteamed with the filmmaker on The Prestige, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet.

Inception’s Supporting Cast & Characters

Dileep Rao as Yusuf – Yusuf is a complicated character in Inception, and while he only appears in a couple of scenes, his actions are hugely important. He’s a chemist who provides Cobb with all the materials and elements necessary to bring the technical side of his plan together.

Tom Berenger as Peter Browning – Browning is one of several executives at Robert Fischer’s company, which finds itself the target of Cobb’s complex attack. He’s Robert’s uncle, though their relationship is always presented as more paternal. Inception might be a confusing movie, but his relationship with Fischer explains much of the complicated plot.

Pete Postlethwaite as Maurice Fischer – Maurice Fischer is the father of Cillian Murphy’s Robert Fischer – and is currently the owner of the Fischer company. Inception sees him during his last days of life, as Robert prepares to take the company from him. This relationship really helps establish Robert as a character and an antagonist.