Cold reading is a term used by actors and others in theatre, television, film, and performance fields. A cold reading is a reading aloud from a script or other text without any rehearsal or study in advance.

Cold readings are employed frequently in actor auditions. They are also used for performance classes and by playwrights who need to hear their play read aloud by actors. Many actors and other performers and public speakers take classes and practice at length to improve the quality of their cold readings.