diff --git a/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.h b/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.h
index 7fcb4721501..4a61df3855c 100644
--- a/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.h
+++ b/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.h
@@ -212,6 +212,10 @@ class VTKCOMMONCORE_EXPORT vtkDataArrayTemplate:
   // Set a value in the array from a vtkVariant.
   void SetVariantValue(vtkIdType id, vtkVariant value);
 
+  // Description:
+  // Insert a value in the array from a vtkVariant.
+  void InsertVariantValue(vtkIdType id, vtkVariant value);
+
   // Description:
   // Insert data at the end of the array. Return its location in the array.
   vtkIdType InsertNextValue(T f);
diff --git a/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.txx b/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.txx
index 9eee8e4ab46..975fc0ad3f3 100644
--- a/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.txx
+++ b/Common/Core/vtkDataArrayTemplate.txx
@@ -979,6 +979,22 @@ void vtkDataArrayTemplate<T>::SetVariantValue(vtkIdType id, vtkVariant value)
     }
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+template <class T>
+void vtkDataArrayTemplate<T>::InsertVariantValue(vtkIdType id, vtkVariant value)
+{
+  bool valid;
+  T toInsert = vtkVariantCast<T>(value, &valid);
+  if (valid)
+    {
+    this->InsertValue(id, toInsert);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+    vtkErrorMacro("unable to set value of type " << value.GetType());
+    }
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 template <class T>
 vtkIdType vtkDataArrayTemplate<T>::InsertNextValue(T f)