Jerry Seinfeld has insisted that his belief in Scientology made him a better comedian in his early career.

The Seinfeld star said he was introduced to the religion by a high school teacher almost 30 years ago.

He told Parade magazine: "It was interesting. Believe it or not... it's extremely intellectual and clinical in its approach to problem-solving, which really appealed to me."

Although he did not become as heavily involved as celebrity followers Tom Cruise and John Travolta, he added that his faith had improved his skills as a comic, saying: "In my early years of stand-up, it was very helpful. I took a couple of courses. One of them was in communication, and I learned some things about communication that really got my act going.

"They [Scientologists] have a lot of very good technology. That's what really appealed to me about it. It's not faith-based. It's all technology. And I'm obsessed with technology."