Former Tears for Fears frontman Curt Smith has signed on to star as a college professor suffering a midlife crisis in the independent film "The Private Public." Dana Altman, grandson of director Robert Altman, is directing the film, which also stars former MTV "Real World" cast members David Burns (Seattle), Jason Cornwell (Boston) and Glen Naessens (Los Angeles), who will be making their acting debuts. Smith, who penned the '80s hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," will make a musical comeback on the film's soundtrack, he said Thursday (Feb. 24). The film will begin shooting in late April.