Aubrey Kate has been durably popular throughout her career, but she's also keenly aware of the finitude of it all. "I want these girls to realize this doesn't last forever. Looks don't last forever. Friends don't last forever," she told EMM Report in a 2024 interview. But the successes just keep coming for Kate, who has won every major trans performer award in the business. She's transcended boundaries to become one of the top trans stars in porn across multiple genres. Kate knew she was different from the very beginning. The first inklings of her trans identity developed as early as her elementary school years, according to her interview with Holly Randall. Like many people in her situation, she was bullied and mistreated by classmates throughout her youth. She began formally transitioning in her later teen years. A family background in gymnastics helped her excel in dance, which in turn led to modeling and eventually cam shows. She gained the attention of Kink.com, which helped pave her way to burgeoning adult stardom. She made history when she became one of the very first trans contract stars after signing with Evil Angel in 2018. Though an on-set injury at one point led to a six-month hiatus, Kate remained undeterred. Kate has said that her win of the AVN Fan Choice award in her third year was one of the surest signs she'd finally arrived. She's also won multiple Trans Performer of the Year prizes at nearly all the major award shows. Evil Angel gave Kate another singular honor when it spotlighted her in the critically acclaimed I Am series of porn-documentary hybrids. "They approached me with this movie idea as being the next I Am. I don't even think they finished their sentence; I was so excited I was screaming!" she told Adult Empire. The movie pulled back the curtain on behind-the-scenes aspects of Kate's career while also delivering the requisite dose of hardcore action. She credits her success to a good work ethic and a friendly personality. "I feel like certain people turn into divas, or they see themselves getting popular, and they expect certain things. I feel like I've always been down to earth. I think that's why I succeeded: I was always on time or early and prepared," she said in 2024. In a 2021 Adult Empire interview, Kate said that her acting role in Joanna Angel's Succubus was probably her most challenging to date. "I am happy she let me step out of the gonzo and get me acting!" Kate noted. Kate has also been quite candid about the challenges of the job. "Once you do it, it is there forever. So make sure you really think about all your options and if this is for you, 100% go for it. There are other ways to test it first. But this is not an easy job. It is not for everyone," she told Adult Empire in 2021.