8. Inception (2010)
And that role likely wouldn't have come to pass had he not first starred in Nolan's 2010 noodle-baking sci-fi smash hit
Inception, playing the cynical, slightly abrasive partner to Leonardo DiCaprio's Cobb, Arthur. Nolan evidently saw something really special in the actor, for Gordon-Levitt is arguably given the most exhilarating and memorable set-piece of the film; a fight against a suited-and-booted henchman as the structure of that particular dream state begins to break down. The ensuing fight, an anti-gravity punch-up, was a gruelling shoot indeed - actually filmed with a real rotating hallway over several weeks - and surely proves beyond doubt the actor's commitment to physically intensive roles. Plus, he gets to soak up many of the film's wittier moments - landing a sneaky smooch on Ellen Page's Ariadne - and, let's face it, looks damn dashing in a suit.