Hey girl... Electrician who was bullied over his 'nerdy' looks as a child finds fame thanks to his uncanny resemblance to heartthrob Ryan Gosling (and he's single!)

By Erica Tempesta For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:00 EST, 26 June 2015 | Updated: 13:31 EST, 26 June 2015

Anyone left devastated by the news that handsome Hollywood actor Ryan Gosling has settled down with actress Eva Mendes might want to take a trip to Toronto, the home of the heartthrob’s equally good-looking – and surprisingly single – doppelganger.

Robert McKinnon, a 31-year-old electrification living in a suburb of Toronto who admits he was ‘bullied’ as a child because of his ‘nerdy’ appearance, was first compared to Ryan a decade ago when people started to notice that he looked 'like the guy from The Notebook'. However, as the actor's fame continued to rise, so did the number of people confusing Robert for 34-year-old Ryan.

'At first, only a couple of twenty-something year old girls would point it out here and there,' he told Daily Mail Online. 'But nowadays his face is more recognizable, so I hear about it several times a day from men and women of all ages.' 

Initiation game: Robert McKinnon (left) was first told that he looked like actor Ryan Gosling (right) a decade ago after the release of the 2004 film The Notebook 

Formal attire: The 31-year-old electrician (left), who is Canadian like the the actor (right) said he gets mistaken for Ryan almost daily 

Ironically, Robert has never seen the 2004 film that shot Ryan to instant stardom, so quoting, 'If you're a bird, I'm a bird', is not exactly the way to win his heart. 

'Back when I was on dating sites, I would get a lot of people sending me quotes from The Notebook, but I've never seen it, so I was often confused,' he explained. 'I'm more of a Drive fan myself.'

And while thousands of men across North America wish they looked like Ryan in order to attract legions of women, Robert, who is single but has his 'eyes on someone', said his resemblance to the star has affected his love life both positively and negatively.    

'Twice I've had my online dating profiles deleted by moderators thinking my photos were stolen,' he said. 'I've often had women message me to harshly ask if I got my photos from the Internet. Others only talk to me for that one reason.'

Like twins: When Robert (left) grew a beard, he was accused of trying to look like Ryan (right)

Hollywood heartthrob: Robert (left) can be seen dressed up as Ryan's character Driver (right) from the 2011 film Drive 

Robert has actually given up on dating sites - but that doesn't stop people from comparing him to Ryan - no matter what he does to his appearance. 

When he grew a beard, he was accused of trying to look like the actor in Blue Valentine, and when he shaved it off, he was said to be channeling Ryan's character in Drive. 

'It's inescapable,' Robert noted, adding that he gets recognized almost daily. 

'I've never pretended to be Ryan. But sometimes people genuinely don't believe me when I say my name is Rob while others just want a photo with me to fool their friends,' he said. 'I'm a pretty low-key guy, so it took some getting used to at first.'

Total disbelief: Robert (left) said he has never pretended to be Ryan (right), but sometimes people won't believe him when he says he is not the actor

Canadian doppelganger: Robert (left) explained that the positive attention he gets because he looks like Ryan (right) is nice because he used to be bullied as a child  

However, being mistaken for a swoon-worthy star is a far cry from Robert's childhood. 

'I was bullied a lot, and my mom was forced to homeschool me for a while,' he explained. 'So the positive attention lately has been a nice change.'

As for Robert's friends and family, they get a kick out of it and often introduce him as Ryan as a joke. His older sister also thinks it's hilarious, but he said that she keeps him 'level-headed about it'.

And while heads swivel and people a double take when he walks into a restaurant or party, Robert said he only sees a 'slight resemblance' between him the face that launched a thousand memes, noting: 'I can point out more differences than similarities.' 

Dare devil: Robert (pictured) recalled getting chased by four girls in a jeep when he was out riding his motorcycle 

Bleached babe: Ryan (pictured) road a motorcycle in the 2013 film The Place Beyond the Pines

But Robert may be his harshest critic. The Canadian recalled walking home late one night when he was approached by three large men, who towered over his 6'1" frame, and started following him down the street.   

'I thought I was going to have to run for my life, but then one of them shouted "Ryan!", and then I knew they were friendly,' he said. 

Another time Robert was riding his motorcycle when four girls in a jeep followed him for several blocks as they took photos of him and tried to get him to pull over. 

While constant notoriety might send most people running to Hollywood, Robert said he never really thought about getting into the entertainment industry even though people tell him he should become a professional Ryan Gosling impersonator, 

Fame game: Although people tells Robert (left) that he should be a professional Ryan (right) impersonator, he said he would 'feel weird doing that'

On the look out: Robert (pictured) said he is currently single but noted that he has his 'eye on someone' 

'I would feel weird doing that,' he said. '[Ryan] often plays an average guy, so it's hard to impersonate that look and have people know what you're going for.'

Robert added: 'I would maybe consider being a stuntman. Although he's not exactly an action star, so I'll probably just stick to being an electrician.' 

In addition to getting followed, posing for pictures and having a slew of Ryan's 'Hey Girl' memes posted on his Facebook page, Robert is often asked which one of the actor's famous loves he personally prefers.

But for Robert, and presumably most men, it is difficult to choose between Sandra Bullock, Rachel McAdams and Ryan's current girlfriend Eva Mendes, who is the mother of his nine-month-old daughter Esmeralda.  

Love story: Robert said he has never seen the The Notebook, in which Ryan starred alongside his ex-girlfriend Rachel McAdams (right) 

Happy couple: Ryan, 34, has a nine-month-old daughter Esmeralda with his girlfriend Eva Mendes, 41, (left) 

'I don't have a preference for a certain body type or hair color,' he explained. 'Basically, if you can rock whatever you have, then I find that attractive.'

Robert noted: 'What I'm looking for in a partner is someone who smart and stable, but who can also have fun when the time calls for it.' 

And while he is still technically single, Robert said he recently went on what he would call the perfect first date - proving to be the romantic that many women Ryan to be. 

'She had never been on a motorcycle, so I picked her up on my bike, and we cruised the lakeshore from Toronto to Burlington, stopping at all the beaches and restaurants along the way,' he recalled. 'It was a long weekend in Canada, so after the sun went down, everyone was setting off fireworks over the lake. I don't think we could top that one.'

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