Doug Tepper worked as a child actor in Tucson, Arizona during the peak filming years in southern Arizona, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, as a client of Fosi's Modeling and Talent Agency in Tucson. Primarily a stage actor in local theater, he made brief screen appearances between the ages of 8 and 17 in several commercials, TV series, and movies, earning his Screen Actor's Guild card.

Doug appeared in several western-themed commercials, including two for Hubba Bubba bubble gum and two for Wells Fargo Bank. His first film appearance was in a small role as Robert Conrad's son in Wild, Wild West Revisited. He played a kid at Kurt Russell's yard sale in the cult-classic comedy Used Cars, and later played a role in a Young Riders TV episode in which he helped trip and mug a drunk Josh Brolin.

Doug no longer works in acting, but did make an appearance on TV on October 6, 2017 as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune, and made a return appearance on June 1, 2021.