Ryan Gosling, aka Baby Goose, aka the guy every girl wishes were her boyfriend wasn't always a huge household name, but he was always adorable, and he always showed promise as a leading man. In today's Way Back When, we take a look at Gosling's more obscure roles as a child actor.

Sure, most of us know by now that Ryan Gosling got his start on 'The Mickey Mouse Club' just like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. And he also starred in the television series 'Young Hercules' -- common knowledge. But did you guys know about his roles in horror shows for kids? Or on a short-lived Canadian tween sitcom?

For your consideration, Ryan Gosling appears in an episode of the hit Nickelodeon series 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' titled "The Tale of Station 109.1." In the season five episode, Gosling plays brother to a morbid little kid fascinated with death and all things dark and spooky. But the best part is in the first few minutes, when Gosling, as a legit Baby Goose, wears a purple shirt (the horror!) and eats shrimp:

[Click the image to watch Ryan Gosling's episode of 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?']

Ryan Gosling Are You Afraid of the Dark?
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Children of the '90s will fondly recall 'Goosebumps,' the horror book series for kids by R.L. Stine. Seriously, don't get us started on the books about that creepy dummy -- nightmares for days. 'Goosebumps' gained so much popularity that it eventually became a television series, and Gosling starred in the episode titled "Say Cheese and Die" about a camera with a very eerie feature:

But our favorite pre-fame Gosling role is, without a doubt, the Canadian tween series 'Breaker High.' "What the hell is a 'Breaker High'?" We're glad you asked. The show was about a high school on a cruise ship and starred Gosling as a nerdy guy posturing himself as a ladies' man. We buy it. The show also starred a young Tyler Labine, whom you might know from 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' and the short-lived Fox series 'Sons of Tuscon.' Though the show's setting allowed for exciting destinations, all of it was shot in British Columbia (TV is full of LIES). It was a light-hearted little sitcom, but it never gained the popularity of other Canadian shows like 'Degrassi' because it failed to confront more serious teen issues like unplanned pregnancies and drugs. But who would want to see a young Gosling getting mixed up with cocaine and a mistake baby anyway?

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