Transplendent: Zariah Aura Talks Her Blossoming Career

A version of this feature appeared in the December issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition. CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Zariah Aura offers a commanding presence on camera. The rising trans star is at a point in her adult industry career where she senses that she’s about to make history. In all honesty, this isn’t a far-fetched assumption held by an actress who knows what she truly wants. For Zariah, she wants to be one of the greats. She’s off to a pretty great start. Adult Time banner Transfixed named her as the December 2023 cover girl for their award-winning Muses series. In an interview with AVN, Zariah opened up about her future in adult and her long-term goals.  Muses is a critically acclaimed series created and produced by director Bree Mills. The chief creative officer for Adult Time wanted to create unique adult films highlighting trans performers in all creative respects. A Muses scene featuring Kasey Kei and Casey Calvert received a nomination for Best Trans One-on-One Sex Scene for the 2024 AVN Awards. According to the Transfixed brand website, this series is “a way to honor those who we feel have stood out as ambassadors of the Transfixed brand.” With this in mind, this series releases a luxury scene that the Muse for each month and Mills develop together for an exclusive release to Adult Time. “Oh my gosh, I am so excited,” Aura said in a phone interview. “I've been dreaming of working with Bree Mills since the beginning of my starting in the industry. I am friends with a bunch of the girls who have worked with Bree. Once I got the Muses offer, I was jumping up and down.  “Working with Bree has been such an amazing experience, and she really has been giving me some really amazing scenes,” she said. “My vision at the center of it has really been amazing.” Zariah entered mainstream studio work for the adult entertainment industry in 2022. Having grown up in an ultraconservative community at the base of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Aura broke the mold and wanted to do something that defined her. And just like anyone who turns to adult industry work, she felt right at home in an environment built on sex positivity, bodily autonomy and creativity. She worked as a content creator across fan platforms, including OnlyFans, for a few years prior to her debut for studio work at adult imprints like Adult Time and Transfixed. During the global pandemic, she explained, she was an essential worker and wasn’t in need of more income. However, she was introduced to creators on social networking sites like X, and it snowballed into Aura entering onto sets and performing professionally. “I got introduced to a group of awesome people on X when it was called Twitter who got me on sets, and it went from there,” Aura explained. Nominated for four awards, including Trans Performer of the Year at the 2024 AVN Awards, Aura wants it known that her Muses episode is a natural step toward her shift towards behind the scenes work and the director’s chair. It isn’t possible for her to achieve success, though, without remembering where she comes from. “I feel like a lot of my confidence comes from the people around you,” Aura said. “And, I think that's like my biggest thing is, I want to work with others too and just build their confidence. “And I think that I can do that for people in the industry,” she added, explaining that she wants to give back to the trans porn community. “I want to find ways to make that happen. You know, either workshops or things like that.” Aura’s credits span from Grooby productions to releases for Adult Time imprints such as Devil’s Film and others across the platform collectively owned by Gamma Entertainment. She also starred in a recent TransAngels release with co-star and friend Emma Rose entitled "Exploring Uranus"—a stylistic near-future sci-fi scene featuring AVN nominee Dante Colle.  As she looks forward to continuing her journey in the adult entertainment industry, Aura remains rooted in her vision, showcasing not only her talent on camera but also her commitment to fostering confidence within the trans community. Keep up with Zariah Aura on X @ZariahAura. Photos by Stella Smut