Calgary

Robert Downey Jr. lookalike fools international media

Former Calgarian Steve Venegas looks so much like Iron Man that some media outlets have mistakenly used his image instead of the actual Robert Downey Jr. photo in their stories.

Online media outlets mistake former Calgarian for Iron Man star

The original film still featuring Robert Downey Jr., left, next to his Canadian doppelgänger, Steve Venegas. The photoshopped image on the right has been mistakenly used numerous times by media outlets, says Venegas. (Tumblr)

Since he was a teenager, people have been telling Steve Venegas that he looks like Robert Downey Jr..

"I guess our faces aged together, because it just kept happening  — especially after I grew facial hair," said the Calgary-born comedian and podcast producer, who also works for CBC in Vancouver.

But it wasn't until his wife took a movie still from the Hollywood blockbuster, Iron Man, and substituted his face for the actor's that things got weird. 

Steve Venegas, who grew up in Calgary, says he has posed as Robery Downey Jr. for photographs with fans. 'Who am I to turn down the adoring public?' he joked. (Steve Venegas/Facebook)

The fake Robert Downey Jr. photo was shared online after being featured in an article for Calgary's BeatRoute Magazine.

Then Venegas received an email from a friend with a link to a story on Forbes.com about the wealthiest fictional characters. 

"At No. 5 was Tony Stark. But it wasn't Tony Stark, it was me."

A couple of Google searches later, Venegas discovered that dozens of major media outlets had made the same mistake. 

They just couldn't tell the difference between the original movie still and the fake one, featuring Venegas.

"It's even been attached to an article where it was question and answer with Robert Downey Jr., but it was my face," he said.

Venegas is pretty sure the celebrity doesn't even know this is happening.

"I don't think he reads his own press. But I'm hoping he does at some point."

 Until then, he doesn't have a problem posing as Robert Downey Jr. for photographs with fans.

"Who am I to turn down the adoring public?"