Editing Deborah Cox (section)

===2000–2005: ''The Morning After'' and acting career===
After ''One Wish'', Cox collaborated with singer [[Whitney Houston]] on her single "[[Same Script, Different Cast]]" from the compilation album ''[[Whitney: The Greatest Hits]]''. Incorporating a backing track of [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s "[[Für Elise]]" during the intro, it was released as a radio-only promo single and became a minor hit on [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], peaking at number 70 while reaching number 14 on [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]]. In 2000, Cox made her acting debut when she starred in [[Clement Virgo]]'s Canadian drama film ''[[Love Come Down (film)|Love Come Down]]'', playing a [[nightclub singer]]. The film garnered eight nominations at the [[21st Genie Awards]], including two [[Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Achievement in Music – Original Song|Best Original Song]] nominations for Cox's songs "29" and "Our Love". In 2001, Cox then recorded "[[Absolutely Not]]", for the soundtrack to ''[[Dr. Dolittle 2]]'' which became her sixth number one hit on ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Dance Club Songs]].

Cox's third album ''[[The Morning After (Deborah Cox album)|The Morning After]]'' was released in November 2002 on [[J Records]] following a frustratingly long departure from Arista. It marked the Cox's first record under [[Clive Davis]]'s label, with Davis, once more serving as executive producer.<ref name="billboard2002"/> Keen to build on the success of her previous album ''One Wish'', he enlisted the help of producers such as [[Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis]], [[Jermaine Dupri]], [[Rodney Jerkins|Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins]], and [[Shep Crawford]] as well as up-and-coming producers [[Warryn Campbell]], [[Johntá Austin]] and [[Trackmasters|Alex Richbourg]] to work with Cox. A blend of urban R&B and adult contemporary songs with additional dance/house tracks, it became her highest-charting album on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] yet, debuting and peaking at number 38 and number seven, respectively. Commercially, the album was less successful than her previous album, however, though it produced two singles on the US [[Dance Club Songs]] chart, including "Mr. Lonely" and "Play Your Part".<ref name="billboard2002">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QA0EAAAAMBAJ&q=deborah+cOX+%22THE+MORNING+AFTER%22&pg=PA16|title=Cox Makes J Debut with 'The Morning After'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=November 16, 2002|access-date=July 29, 2018}}</ref>

In February 2004, Cox made her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in the [[Elton John]]-[[Tim Rice]] musical ''[[Aida (musical)|Aida]]'' when she replaced singer [[Michelle Williams (singer)|Michelle Williams]] in her role of the Nubian princess. Her four-month engagement earned largely positive reviews.<ref name="playbill2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/deborah-cox-is-aida-beginning-feb-17-com-117946|title=Deborah Cox Is Aida Beginning Feb. 17|website=[[Playbill.com]]|access-date=July 29, 2018}}</ref> The same year, she recorded and released a dance remix of the musical's theme song "Easy As Life" as a promotional single.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/de/Deborah-A-Cox-Easy-As-Life-Theme-From-Aida/release/3010016|title= Deborah A. Cox – Easy As Life (Theme From Aida) |website=[[Discogs.com]]|access-date=July 29, 2018}}</ref> In 2005, Cox starred in the films ''Blood of a Champion'' and ''Love on Layaway''. Also that year, her voice was featured in the movie ''[[Hotel Rwanda]]'' in the song "Nobody Cares". To sustain demand for Cox's club appearances, while focused on her family and new album projects, she released a dance single titled "House Is Not a Home" on [[Nervous Records (US)|Nervous Records]] in January 2006. Later in the year, her song "Definition of Love" was used in the movie ''[[Akeelah and the Bee]]'', but was not released as a single.