Character artiste

Her chiselled features and underplayed histrionics have earned Waheeda Rehman scores of admirers. Over the years, she has graduated to essaying meatier roles as a character artiste and emerged as a model 'Guide' to yesteryear stars.
The district magistrate residing at Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, in India, was elated beyond words when a bonny baby girl was born into his traditional Muslim family on February 3, 1936.
Little did he realise that apart from being the apple of his eye, Waheeda Rehman would later go on to win collective hearts and carve her own niche in Indian cinedom.
Her tryst with cinema was sparked off when the late filmmaker Guru Dutt spotted her in Hyderabad, even as he was scouting for a new face. Having learnt that she was conversant in Urdu, Dutt brought her to Mumbai (then, Bombay) casting her as a vamp in his production 'C.I.D' (1956) directed by Raj Khosla.

Source : http://in.movies.yahoo.com/news-detail/78484/Bday-Spotlight-WAHEEDA-REHMAN.html

Could you please explain to me the emboldened parts?
I know "artiste" means "actors"