Photos by Tessa Marie Images
All of seven years old, Malvern’s Rose Decker is already finding her place on the big screen, with roles in Nanny and Mare of Easttown.
Rose Decker is tired after a day at SALT Performing Arts’ Stagelight theater camp. But rest will have to wait. Scooting back on a wooden bench at Milky Way Creamery in Chester Springs, Rose is currently savoring the rainbow jimmies on her Rosie’s Rainbow Sprinkle Cake ice cream. “My nickname is Rosie,” says the blue-eyed seven-year-old.
A veritable Shirley Temple, albeit with straight locks, Rose explains how a production team made “movie magic” for a scene in her latest film, Nanny, which was shot in New York City. “They hung a black tarp on a green ceiling for me to look at and pretend it was a shadow,” says Rose, who lives in Malvern with her mom, dad and two older brothers. “Then they edited it to actually make a shadow.”
In Nanny, Anna Diop plays an undocumented Senegalese immigrant who signs on with an affluent Manhattan family to care for their young daughter. Also starring Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector, it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this past January and had a limited release in theaters November 23 before heading to Amazon Prime on December 16. “It’s a psychological thriller,” says Alynn Decker, Rose’s mom. “Rose only had one scene where she could visibly see a knife. They walked her through it ahead of time, letting her touch it and the fake blood.”
Rose says she wasn’t scared. “But I wouldn’t invite my friends to see it. It’s a grown-up movie. [One of the characters] had a knife in her hand and almost stabbed me,” she says, giggling.
In another scene, Rose got to throw ice cream—for 50-60 takes. “There was a tarp on the floor though,” Rose says. “I’m not allowed to throw ice cream at home.”
Rose got her start when her photo was chosen the winner of a cute baby contest. As a two-year-old at New York City’s fashion week, she wore a full-length gown and walked a mini runway. “She got an agent right away and was hired for all these jobs—various commercials,” says her mom.
Even before she could read, Rose was memorizing lines. “She has the ability to play and focus at the same time—like a professional athlete,” says her acting coach, Bryan Fox of Actors Lab Philly. “She’s so easy to work with.”
Rose’s breakthrough came when she was cast as Kenzie in Main Line-native Brad Ingelsby’s Emmy-winning 2021 HBO drama, Mare of Easttown, parts of which were filmed in Chester and Delaware counties. “We wondered if it was real,” Alynn says.
Fox worked with Rose on the video short that helped her land the part for Nanny. She even got to keep her real name for the role. “She has a really nice natural ability,” says Fox, who lives in Wayne.
Rose has also had roles on Season 9 of NBC’s The Blacklist and Season 4 of Servant on Apple TV+. She’s also been cast in another feature film currently in production. This past summer, she was part of a Halloween episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “Colbert was very funny and patient with the kids,” says Alynn, a childcare professional and former teaching aide.
Through all the auditions, performances and tapings, Alynn is focused on ensuring that Rose still gets to be a kid. On a recent train ride to New York City, Rose took her bike. She’s also a sushi fan, and she loves animals—especially her dog, Johnny Cash. “After a day on the Nanny set, we’d do something fun—like visiting playgrounds all over Manhattan,” her mom says.
The Decker boys have led the way when it comes to outdoor adventures and all kinds of sports. Rose excels at gymnastics and performing on the silks, and she’ll be attending first grade at Charlestown Elementary School this fall. “Recess is my favorite,” she says.
Pretty run-of the-mill stuff—especially for a kid with her own IMDB page.
Related: West Chester Native Grace Slear Performs in “The Tattooed Lady”
